Chris Humphries
Exhibitions
Pasion de Multitudes - 2005
Chris Humphries Pasion De Multitudes March 3-26 / 2005 The work produced for this exhibition comes from Humphries' trip to South America in 2003. Specifically, time spent in Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru. Humphries' art practise revolves around observing and deciphering in his own visual language, peoples daily habits, the way they dress, their religious practises and their spiritual and physical journeys. "When I travel I am an accumulator of designs, graphics and script that catch my eye whether it be on packaging, advertising or just general paraphernalia. I pay attention to the obscure or the obvious and what I find to be quirky in the country and people I visit. For example, the painting, "Oriente Petrolero, Pasion De Multitude" comes from the logo of one of the local football teams in Bolivia. What caught my eye was the wonderful graphics on the foam mat we were given to sit on for the game. Similarly, "Aucas, Los De Abajo" uses a local football team logo, which is juxtaposed with the infamous Andean mountainous region. I have used script or type in a lot of these works, mainly as a reference to postcards. The concept of the postcard interests me as a traveller. The image of the perfect scenario that is often presented to us on a postcard is not always the case." Humphries observed that 'passion' runs deep within blood of most South Americans, almost all the people he met affirmed this. "From an observers point of view I am trying to convey to the strong sense of passion for culture, history, sport and natural wonders that engulfs you wherever you go in South America." Conceptually Humphries' works are playful and acute visual commentaries that are based upon reflections on the world of travel, popular culture, mass media, electronic information and the ephemeral in daily life. "I call my works diaristic journals. My exhibitions are a visual diary. The more I travel and the older I get- the more acute my observations. I feel that my nomadic quality energises my thoughts and my works." Chris Humphries Humphries' brings a uniquely Australian perspective to his work, particularly through his exploration of the Aussie traveller abroad. The works are intense, beautifully coloured and precise.
The Victorian Alps - 2008
Chris HumphriesThe Victorian AlpsMay 1- 24, 2008 Chris Humphries' art practice is concerned with transition, each work evolving from the original source, the environment, to its creation in the studio. Spurred on by his high altitude trekking in South America in 2004, the subject of his previous exhibition at Helen Gory Galerie, Humphries has been exploring the Victorian Alps, traversing areas such as Mount Feathertop, McAllister's Hut and The Bluff. 'The Victorian Alps captured my imagination as they question the traditional notions of what the Australian landscape is" I consider the Victorian Alps to be one of the truly great natural sites of Australia and a very valuable resource that we need to respect.' Hence this exhibition, plainly title The Victorian Alps is indeed snowy, blue and misty.The show documents Humphries' journey, both literal and personal, capturing vistas that inspired him and recounting memorable experiences. As Associate Professor Ken Wach, formerly Head of the School of Creative Arts at the University of Melbourne, notes 'Humphries is a wandering eye " He wanders - we wait and watch for the results. What we eventually view in his paintings are not the false images of tourist postcards, but the aesthetic reconstructions of an informed and perceptive artistic'. Humphries evokes the high altitudes, crisp thin air and extraordinary colours of the Victorian Alps. The start of his ascent of Mount Feathertop, the highest point in Victoria at 1922m, is reflected in 'Hch and GJ prepare'. 'I wanted to paint this image because for me it represents the anticipation and preparation for the start of an unforgettable experience.' Approaching the summit of the mountain, which it had taken more than two days of walking along the treacherous 'Razor Back Ridge', was the inspiration for 'Feathertop' while the reflective view gazing up from the foot of the mountain after their descent, with foreboding weather creating a very sinister feeling', is recalled in 'Feathertop 3'. Humphries injects a quirkiness and yet passionate portrayal of the region. He references and continues an artistic tradition that spans from Hans Heysen's majestic nineteenth century representations of the Victorian high country to contemporary depictions of the area.We are proud to announce that Humphries has been a finalist in numerous awards throughout 2007. As we enter a delightful exhibition of The Victorian Alps, these paintings that not only are a visual feast, soothing and sharp, we also enter the world of Chris Humphries' visual diaries once again. Humphries in one of Australia's contemporary artists that could easily be overlooked yet he never fails to sell out and quietly work his way to the next exhibition. Be sure to visit this show so you don't miss out.
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