Stewart MacFarlane’s paintings are always engaging and often mysterious. Sometimes it’s best they stay that way.
He is known for his figurative work, featuring pared down realism that tends to be a little cinematic at times. There’s a story to each painting, of course, but mostly we won’t know what it is.
Mind you, MacFarlane has given some hints in the titles of pieces that will be on show in a pop-up at Starr Fine Art at Milton this weekend – January 19-21.
One of his works caught my eye immediately. MacFarlane explains that For Better or For Worse is quite literal in its intention. The painting features a man scanning the arid landscape of South Australia with binoculars. Someone is behind him in the car brandishing a knife. You see a hand and the blade and the rest of it is left to your imagination.
“I don’t want to bring anyone down but that painting articulates the breakdown of my marriage,” MacFarlane explains with refreshing honesty. “I’ve had three marriages. I will recover.”
I admire the candour. Knowing that also helps explain some of the other works, although they are certainly not all about that. Love Hurts sounds like it’s in the same vein but it features a policeman against the backdrop of a bleak landscape (possibly a metaphor) in a little abandoned town in South Australia, the state where MacFarlane has been living for a few years.
“I think about 10 people live in this town,” MacFarlane says. “I was there doing a study and what I thought was a police car pulled up and then I realised it was a guy from the RSPCA. I turned him into a cop in the painting because that seemed more interesting.”
MacFarlane has been based in an old brewery in the town of Laura, a couple of hours from Adelaide. It has a view of the Flinders Ranges, popular with artists. Its other claim to fame is that it was once the home of the writer C.J. Dennis.
MacFarlane is in the process of leaving Laura and his Brisbane pop-up will mark a transition back to this region.
He lived in South-East Queensland, around Maryborough, for almost a decade and formerly exhibited with Philip Bacon Galleries, developing quite a fan base. His last exhibition here, which I covered, was at Mitchell Fine Art in 2021, just down the road from Philip Bacon.
MacFarlane intends to settle somewhere in northern NSW and the show with Starr Fine Art is a kind of transition and reintroduction to the local scene and landscape.
It’s also a reunion of sorts between the artist and an early muse and model, the artist Starr (she goes by this single moniker). The show will include some of MacFarlane’s early works featuring Starr, which she still holds quite proudly in her personal collection, as well as some of her recent work.
“In my early 20s I had the unique and wonderful opportunity to serve as a muse for the talented artist Stewart MacFarlane,” Starr recalls.
“What began as a modelling gig soon blossomed into a deep and enduring friendship. Stewart’s artistic prowess became a wellspring of inspiration for me, and his insightful advice on all things art has been invaluable.
“Our bond extends beyond the canvas, grounded in a shared appreciation for figurative works and a commitment to distinctive artistic styles. Stewart’s influence has left an indelible mark on my creative journey, shaping the way I approach my own work with live models in the realm of figurative art.
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“It’s a joy to showcase his remarkable pieces in my gallery, where our artistic spirits continue to resonate and complement each other.”
So, there’s a lovely synergy here with the pairing of these two quite distinctive talents.
Stewart MacFarlane recalls that Starr was an art student when he first met her and says he admires her work and her entrepreneurial spirit and that he was thrilled to be making the epic road trip from Laura to Brisbane with the exhibition at Starr Fine Art at the conclusion of that journey.
And much as he loves the desert landscapes of South Australia, he’s looking forward to painting a lusher one in the coming years. He says he loves the beach and a painting such as The Forgotten Coast, which will be included in his exhibition, shows that he paints it beautifully too. Expect more like this.
Stewart MacFarlane presented by Starr Fine Art, 46 Douglas St, Milton. Opening night January 19, 6-8pm; then January 20-21, 10am to 4pm.
starrfineart.com
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