Homage to the Natural World - David Voigt

Throughout the decades of my journey as an artist, styles and directions have led me through many and varied pathways. From the early years in the 1960’s through to the 70’s the works of those decades were very structural and minimal in concept.  They employed high-tech machine-made imagery, although expressions of natural light was always a dominant feature.

Through the 1980’s more impressionistic organic landscape elements were composed within larger geometric formats. As works progressed into the 1990’s the expressions of atmospheric landscape became more dominant. For some years after that, I was inspired by the use of more vibrant colours which developed into a period of large floral works, subjects which were cultivated in our rural home gardens. Those works were still developed within a geometric structured format.

Since the 2000’s the works have become more abstract, using very complex hard edge fragmented forms interwoven with expressions of impressionistic landscape. Vibrant colour sequences are still an integral part. More recently these complex compositions have gradually been overtaken by a more free, immediate, spontaneous technique in expressing my visions of nature, with an emphasis on atmosphere and the ethereal.

This recent collection of works contributing to this new exhibition “Homage to the Natural World” at Bungendore Wood Works Gallery is in many ways a more close-up vision of the natural world than previously explored. These works from past and present journeys, hopefully express the mood of the environment, often serene, yet sometimes threatening.  

In these new works I involve myself in climate and weather. The sky, rainforests, escarpments of stone, waterfalls, birds, trees, changing seasons and the time of day, together with the drama and intricate detail that hold it all together, such as rainforest flora, mist rising, or an incoming wave about to sweep me away all contribute to these current works. Throughout the many pathways my painting has taken, the one constant that has always been the source of my inspiration is the passion for all things of the natural world, irrespective of technique, style, or direction of my own life. In these times of high-tech digitalisation, expressions of beauty and simplicity seem to be an unfashionable consideration.

My passion has always been about the environment. What is considered to be trendy, modern, or contemporary are labels I have consigned to history.  

I have greatly enjoyed painting this recent collection of paintings in this period of increased awareness of environmental degradation. For my art, paying Homage to the Natural World, where a lifetime of inspirations has always had its origins. Hopefully these works are a positive statement on what must be preserved.

If one or more of these new paintings strikes a positive chord for the viewer, then my commitment has been rewarded. Across the world many aspects of nature are angry.

My view is that in a contest, even if we don’t like the outcome, nature always wins.

David Voigt, Ravensdale 2019