Contemporary Artwork
The Ace of Arts gallery is based in Newcastle, Australia and showcases the work of surrealist artist Fred Herbert
On this site you can learn about the artist, view a gallery of work, read some writing by the artist, and order high quality artwork.
Fred Herbert - Artist's Statement
An original vision has been the main aim of most contemporary artists. That has been my primary objective too. I've also worked with the hope of attaining a sense of life in cold inanimate objects. However, whilst one seeks originality, I've always been aware of the traditional problems of pictorial composition associated with the needs for, sense of unity, symmetry and sensitive and creative use of the various elements of design. One aims at expressing one's individuality and at experimenting in divergent thinking.
For many contemporary painters, paint became valued for the quality of
paint in itself, not as a medium that can be brought to imitate other
textures such as wood, drapery, copper et. I've been an artist who intentionally
sets out to bring out the tactile quality of paint as a thing in itself.
With many of my compositions I'm very concerned about the balancing of
strong directional movements. Where some of my works speak of little more
than tactile qualities, well developed forms and related elements, in
others I've aimed at presenting social commentaries, viz. , pictures that
have something to say about perceived problems of society.
For instance, the strong emphasis placed on physicality of the Australian culture is in: "Sun Worshippers on Mucho Beach" highlighted via a divergent, but unified rearrangement of well known shapes. Here the muscle shapes simultaneously represent big male muscles and big hard rocks. Those form a dark tonal foreground which encloses the sun drenched middle ground in which lay the soft feminine sunbathers. The aim there was to create a dreamlike, or surrealistic image, which also had something to say about our social fabric. Some other works express concern about such possible problems in our culture of over-emphasis on the values of materialism and consumerism.
However, behind all of my work in art there has always remained the desire to live up to that well known statement of Iris Murdock: "Art is a Cold Fire" and in so doing imbue my work with a sense of vitality that can transform the inanimate object into a spark of life.
Sample Work
Spirits of Jazz - Circular Quay
By Fred Herbert
Oil painting on canvas, framed
(235 x 169cm)
Original $1960 USD + P+H
Testimonial
"Mr Herbert continues to develop his painting in an original and lively manner. He is enthusiastic and very knowledgeable about his chosen subject and has the ability to communicate this enthusiasm. He is well able to make a valuable contribution in any are of the visual arts"
Mr A Fergusson, Former Director of the Hunter Region Art Gallery