The Catholic Weekly 26 July 2020

24 NEWS 26, July, 2020 I wanted to evoke again some of the beauty from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries and also to challenge myself to see how close I can get to the mastery of these pieces.” Michael Galovic RENOWNED ICONOGRA- PHER Michael Galovic has made a stunning departure from his usual creative output with a series of paintings fea- turing Paradise and the sin of Adamand Eve. The four paintings, complet- ed from last November to July, explore the Genesis story of the fall and expulsion, a theme whichMr Galovic says has “in- trigued” him visually on and off for years but has never been a focus of his work. He also wanted to honour andpreserve someof thebeau- ty of the medieval era, espe- cially some Italian and Flemish Renaissance masterpieces, for contemporary viewers. “The stories of the old and new testaments are so incred- ibly full of drama, tension and wonderful background for the visual artist that they have lent themselves to the creation of extraordinary artwork,” said the 70-year-old NSWartist. “The paintings that I so ad- mire from the Renaissance occupy the highest register of artistic capacity, dexterity and craftsmanship. “I wanted to evoke again some of the beauty from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries and also to challenge myself to see how close I can get to the mastery of these pieces.” Using egg tempura on board, the series is a mix of replica and original work, in different styles, the classical andmodernandeven includes film references such as the title given to the first piece, a tribute to Italian Renaissance artist Andrea Mantegna, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil . The second continues the tribute to Renaissance Mas- ters, adding an element of ambiguity and bold contrast in a brightly-coloured cheq- uerboard pattern added at the bottomof the painting. Mr Galovic also returned to a lifelong fascination with the life and work of 19th cen- ¾ ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues Art comes out of Paradise Iconographer-artist finds inspiration in creation’s epic human disaster Michael Galovic explores the Genesis story of the fall and expulsion in his latest series of paintings. Clockwise from left: Gauguin’s Para- dise Lost, The Expulsion from Paradise, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Before Night Falls. IMAGES: MICHAEL GALOVIC tury French artist Paul Gau- guin with his interpretation of what a Gauguinesque Paradise would look like. “I knew I wanted to tap into Gauguin again. Hewas chasing paradise all the time as a man and as an artist,” he said. He chose to round off the series with the final painting, a replica of The Creation of the World and the Expulsion from Paradise by Giovanni di Paolo di Grazia, because he was “blown away not only by its aesthetic and undeniable beauty”, but also by its element of modernity in representing details of a cosmology within a giant sphere. The artist said his friends and followers have enjoyed commenting on their favourite pieces and the interplay be- tween the four. “For years I have experi- mented with bringing things together that at first glance don’t look compatible, but where I believe that there is some sort of point of reconcil- iation,” he said. “For example, in a room fur- nished with antique furniture, you put a modern piece in it and that can work beautifully and vice versa. “But you have to be bold, creative and really believe in what you are doing.” The artist is moving into a new phase of his career in which he has more freedom to explore new interests and re- visit old ones. While he is currently work- ing on a “completely different” commission, spending six months with Adam, Eve and some of his favourite artists was a “total pleasure”. “Instead of being drained by it, I’ve been energised. I’m glad I’ve done this series but I don’t see it as my own achievement, I see it as some- thing of beauty that has some- how been produced and I am myself fascinated by these paintings.” Posters of the artworks in a set of four are available by emailing michaelgalovic@ gmail.com