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

Jarring our reading of the information before us, hyper-real, graphic images nestle within streams of colour, causing us to consider new narratives that may not have been previously possible. A broken down, crumpled car sits abandoned within a blob of blue, where multi-coloured ribbons spill out from it onto the rest of the canvas. Thoughts of materialisation, over-consumption and the decline of Australia’s automobile industry come to mind. (The artist has spent many years in Geelong, a city that has been greatly affected by manufacturing industries move to off-shore). Or perhaps more acutely is it a sign that the fast paced, high-octane existence we have enjoyed will soon come to a bittersweet end? It is within these abstract spaces that we have an opportunity to consider our relationship with the environment & begin to articulate new answers.
Extract from essay by Melanie Caple, 2017

Michael Gromm completed his Bachelor of Fine Art degree in 2002 at the Univeristy 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). In 2015 Gromm was selected to exhibit in FLG’s Exploration Exhibition for emerging and unsigned artists. He was awarded the FLG Emerging Artist Award in 2015 and held his first solo exhibition with FLG in 2016. His works are held in collections in Singapore, USA and across Australia. Gromm currently works from his studio in Bali.

CATALOGUE ESSAYS:

Idle-Wild, by Andrew Gaynor 2019
Disco End Ever, by Phe Luxford 2016
Pause, by Melanie Caple 2017

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Speared young tigers and single serve day trips 2018
oil and acrylic on canvas
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
189cm x 159cm
$8,000 AUD

Stray Dogs 2018
oil & acrylic on canvas
115cm x 90cm
$3,000 AUD

I missed so many good photo opportunities 2018
oil and acrylic on canvas
115cm x 90cm
$3,000 AUD

Advertising took all the fun out of it 2018
oil & acrylic on canvas
139cm x 118cm
$4,500 AUD

One Fun Bun Run 2019
oil and acrylic on canvas
115cm x 90cm
Sold
Sold

On arrival we were offered cigarettes and cola 2019
oil & acrylic on canvas
189cm x 159cm
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Sold

Sundancers were loud and entertaining 2019
oil & acrylic on canvas
145cm x 125cm
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Sold

Rent hike island hop (no pool) 2019
oil & acrylic on canvas
76cm x 66cm
$1,600 AUD

Random credit from a bank in New York 2019
oil & acrylic on canvas
76cm x 66cm
$1,600 AUD

Lizard shit on the tiles 2019
oil and acrylic on canvas
76cm x 66cm
Sold
Sold

Pink Helmet 2019
oil and acrylic on canvas
45cm x 45cm
$850 AUD

They wanted six hundred for the two weeks 2018
oil and acrylic on canvas
183cm x 152cm in artist's studio
$7,500 AUD

Needless to say 2017
oil & acrylic on canvas
140cm x 120cm in artist's studio
$4,500 AUD

Deep love for parking lots 2018
oil & acrylic on canvas
182cm x 152cm In artist's studio
$7,500 AUD

m.m01 2019
oil and acrylic on canvas
145cm x 45cm
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m.m02 2019
oil and acrylic on canvas
145cm x 45cm
$2,000 AUD

m.m03 2019
oil and acrylic on canvas
145cm x 45cm
$2,000 AUD

Apparently it's good for you 2019
oil & acrylic on canvas
121cm x 96cm In artist's studio
$3,300 AUD

Ferraris on ice like mice 2019
oil & acrylic on canvas
145cm x 125cm
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Sold