CONTEMPORARY ART STOCKROOM Michael Gromm

Michael Gromm’s relationship to his medium speaks of an open two-way process of making and unmaking, of the physical actions of painting and the emotional impacts of looking. These are tremendously flamboyant images, joyful and brash in their exuberance. Paired with the somewhat allegorical, sometimes nonsensical titles he bestows upon each one, they also speak of the absurd and superfluous acts, decisions and spontaneities that drive much of our human endeavour. Gromm’s large fluid paintings seek to suspend the viewer in a state of preternatural ‘nowness’ creating moments of visual and mental spaciousness, capable of encouraging creativity, reflection and calm within an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world.

I have an innate fascination with what is not known, and enjoy those moments when my eyes perceive things incorrectly. Those moments, usually out of the corner of my eye, when a few shapes or movements blend together to trigger a response from my consciousness. My works delve into the unknown and form unplanned, unending puzzles; a game of charades for both me and the viewer. However, among the puzzles there exists an overarching awareness that sets the direction of my works, and strikes a fundamental balance between letting the paint do as it wants, and making it do as it is told.
Artist Statement - Michael Gromm

Over the last decade, Michael Gromm has been refining his painterly vision, creating images featuring expressive swirls of colour anchored by figurative elements executed with illustrational accuracy. Through the prism of (mis)understanding, Gromm’s become works which oscillate with meaning when given half a chance.These are nothing like the abstract surrealism of Miro, or Klee. Nor are they the hyper-real surreal, as per Dali and James Gleeson. What they reveal instead is a new-world celebration of colour, particularly synthetic, toxic in its acidity – pinks, lime, orange – pigments that swoop and whorl against otherwise blank grounds. Gromm also employs multiple tools from fine sable brushes to squeegees, pouring multiple colours onto the canvas and ‘pushing it around.’
Extract from essay by Andrew Gaynor 2019

Michael Gromm holds a Bachelor of Fine Art degree from the University of Ballarat. He has been a finalist in the Geelong Contemporary Art Prize (2016), the Scope Galleries Art Prize (2012), the Metro Gallery Art Prize (2010), the Fletcher Jones Contemporary Art Prize (2008) and was announced the winner of the David Pratt Drawing Award (2001). Gromm was selected to exhibit in FLG’s Exploration exhibition in 2015 and was subsequently awarded the FLG Emerging Artist Award. His works are held in collections in Singapore, USA and across Australia. He has been exhibiting with FLG in 2016.

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Media Highlights

hgddfs 2021
Oil and acrylic on linen
182cm x 167cm
Sold
Sold

Pseudo Printer Technique 2020
Acrylic on linen
189cm x 159cm
$8,000 AUD

we're out of jam 2020
oil, acrylic & pencil on canvas
102cm x 107cm
$3,500 AUD

Love the layered carpet patterns 2021
Oil and acrylic on linen
122cm x 107cm
$4,000 AUD

Go there for three months and then come back 2021
Oil and acrylic on canvas
106cm x 91cm
$3,000 AUD

My mum works for eleven hours, and I did about five 2021
Oil and acrylic on canvas
106cm x 91cm
$3,000 AUD

Let's go hang with Jim Carey 2020
acrylic on linen
106cm x 91cm
$3,000 AUD

Wanna do a catch up on the 28th 2020
Acrylic and pencil on linen
96cm x 81cm
$2,500 AUD

I prefer Da Vinci 2021
Oil and acrylic on linen
80cm x 60cm
$1,600 AUD

That's the golden plan 2021
Acrylic on linen
61cm x 55cm
$1,100 AUD

Ornamental phone face 2021
Acrylic on linen
61cm x 55cm
$1,100 AUD

Porsche 2021
Oil and acrylic on linen
80cm x 60cm
$1,600 AUD

mm.c.02 2021
Acrylic on birch ply
30cm x 30cm
$500 AUD

mm.c.04 2021
Acrylic on birch ply
30cm x 30cm
$500 AUD

They wanted six hundred for the two weeks 2018
oil and acrylic on canvas, at SJB Interiors
183cm x 152cm
$8,000 AUD

Speared young tigers and single serve day trips 2018
oil and acrylic on canvas, at SJB Interiors
183cm x 152cm
$8,000 AUD

Vibrations deep in the earth will make you get out of bed at 6am 2019
oil & acrylic on canvas, at SJB Interiors
189cm x 159cm
$8,000 AUD

Yellow car deep underwater 2020
acrylic, pencil & collage on 300gsm paper, unframed
76cm x 57cm
$1,400 AUD

Californian presentation house 2020
acrylic, pencil & collage on 300gsm paper, unframed
76cm x 57cm
$1,400 AUD

Soothing LED time 2020
acrylic, pencil & collage on 300gsm paper, unframed
76cm x 57cm
$1,400 AUD

Waiting For The Next Top Gun Movie 2020
acrylic, pencil & collage on 300gsm paper, unframed
76cm x 57cm
$1,400 AUD

Bold Bird came to say hello 2020
acrylic, pencil & collage on 300gsm paper, unframed
41cm x 29cm
$500 AUD

Car Door Dint 2020
acrylic, pencil & collage on 300gsm paper, unframed
41cm x 29cm
$500 AUD