Australian artist Todd Hunter creates expressive, dynamic canvasses which seek to represent the essence rather than the physical matter of things. Described as an ‘alchemist of form’ his work can not be considered in the traditional sense of either figuration or abstraction. Hunter extracts colour, form and sentiment from the world around him and refashions them in his own vocabulary. Hunter is not disinterested in his subjects, whether they be figures or landscapes, he simply bypasses their literal components and presents them anew, expressively and with great energy.
Whilst many of the pieces could be described as displaying a violence of form, there is a duality at play between gentler passages of lyrical, graceful paint application. Like a composer marshalling an unyielding orchestra, Hunter captures the movement of light and form, freezing them in time. His works have a natural rhythm at their core, paralleling the effects of nature and history. The artist cites music as a huge source of inspiration in his work, and there is no denying its abstracted presence in every epic canvas. Hunter is a sophisticated colourist, adopting distinctive combinations with his palette knife and creating a harmony between them.
The critically acclaimed and hugely successful Love Buzz series takes as its subject matter the taboo subject of pornography and presents the artist’s own unique visual dialogue with the subject. These canvasses have a distinct sensuality and conjure abstracted flesh in large, expressive brushstrokes, presenting evocative passages derived from sensual pleasure and physical interactions.
Hunter graduated from Griffith University Brisbane, in 1992 and subsequently attended the Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney. Since graduating, the artist has had numerous solo shows throughout Australia and has also been exhibited in a large number of group shows nationally. He has been a finalist of the Sunshine Coast Art Prize, Paddington Art Prize and the Logan National Art Award amongst others. His work is held in several public and corporate collections including Art Bank and the Australian Embassy.
