Past exhibitions

The first in-depth exploration of the work of David Aspden (1935-2005), for whom colour, music and landscape were sustaining inspirations

Initially coming to prominence in the 1960s as a young gun of the local avant garde, Aspden went on to become one of Sydney’s leading painters of the next four decades.

For Aspden, painting was as much about the process as it was about the subject matter. Stimulated by music or perhaps the play of light on water or through trees, his creations are all-encompassing colour environments.

His early work was influenced by colour field and hard-edge painting – two approaches to abstract art that emerged in the mid 20th century (the former, characterised by large expanses of colour; the latter, by cleanly-defined forms and flat colour). In Aspden’s painting, this gave way to a more nuanced and lyrical abstraction, while still emphasising colour and his remarkable facility for tone.

Accompanied by a fully illustrated book, this exhibition focuses exclusively on the Gallery’s extensive Aspden collection, with a particular emphasis on his vibrant acrylic paintings on paper, shown alongside a selection of key paintings.

For more details, read the media release