A blank canvas
Painting is a solitary pursuit, as an artist explores issues of interest and meaning to them personally. Feedback is generally received only once the completed works are exhibited. More importantly for artist Michael Morley, exhibiting also provides an opportunity to position himself and his work in the cultural framework for contemporary painting.
A Lecturer in the Dunedin School of Art, Michael has recently been painting works inspired by images from video games. Although a painting can't actually move like a digital graphic can, a painting can seem to bounce around, to shimmer, giving the impression of movement. Colour is also important, so Michael mixes his own colours.
Michael is content that people interested in contemporary painting have an opportunity to see his work. What they think of it, what they take away from it, is not his responsibility but theirs.
Some people think that a painting should be beautiful, or should provoke thinking, or should answer questions, but a painting is more autonomous than that, there's nothing it should be or do.