Where do we put it all?

ART & SOUL

13 Feb, 2023

‘Where do we put it all?’, an exhibition by Roland Seibertz, opens at the Mangawhai Artists Gallery at 6pm on Thursday February 16.

This is Roland’s third exhibition in Mangawhai, following a sell-out New Works exhibition in February 2022 and his inaugural Large Works exhibition in October 2021.

‘Where do we put it all?’ draws on events and Roland’s impressions from throughout 2022. The paintings range from soft washes to solid bodies of colour. All paintings are acrylic and egg tempera on canvas.

“Inspiration comes from landscape viewing and impressive conversations with other people,” explains Roland. “But where do we put all these impressions, feelings, thoughts and realisations?”

“You could think of this exhibition as a giant house where these abstract paintings are located. As you wander from room to room, something else happens, something else is stored. A door can open any time revealing something new: ‘A view over Raglan’, air travel in ‘J19’ (that’s actually a seat number) or ‘Jump for joy’ – probably the most fun room to be in!

“The task of an abstract painting is to divert from the factual by attempting a coup: you don’t recognise an event or a view as you thought you would. You recognise and see what you expect to see, however, it is through a different lens.

“Adding shape and colour, the mind diverts away from safe thinking to land in a place from which any direction can be taken. Mostly, but not always, we land straight away in known territory again, thinking ‘I know this landscape, house, seascape, or feeling’.

“Large paintings like ‘J19’ allow a sense of time. It is long and takes time to take in all these square metres of air and colour. One can walk along and think of all sorts,” says Roland.

n ‘Where do we put it all?’ opens at 6pm on Thursday February 16 at the Mangawhai Artists Gallery and open daily from 10am to 3pm, closing on Wednesday March 01. The gallery is number 7 in the Mangawhai Art Trail, taking place February 25-26.

Roland Seibertz with ‘Trial’, from the New Works 2022 exhibition. PHOTO/FILE