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Australian landscape painter Matthew Simmons was born in Traralgon, Victoria in 1975. From 1994 to 1995 he undertook Art and Design studies at Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE. Simmons attended La Trobe University, Bendigo from 1995, and was awarded his Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1997.
Simmons found inspiration for
his drawings and paintings in the surrounding landscape of his native northern
Victoria. At the core of Simmons’ landscape painting are two fundamentals; the
first emanates from the quality of his vision, the second from the harmonious
relationship between his artistic responsiveness and the artist’s technical
expertise. Simmons removes the outer facade of appearance and draws us in to
the spiritual essence of the landscape.
For Simmons, the journey of his landscape painting has just begun, as he
explains “there are many forests and plains that I am yet to discover – the few
that I have painted already, are filled with ambiguous spaces for an audience
to plant their own understandings and interpretations. They are filled with
skyway-highways of trees, clouds and shadows and the earth houses trees upon
trees. My paintings are my voice for an Australian Landscape.”
Simmons invites the viewer to look at his work with the expectation of a
journey. He wants us “to find a space to lounge in, and be comfortable enough
to then explore the piece... to take a journey"
Simmons has been in demand for many commissioned works, including a Tram/Mural Design for Central Deborah Goldmines, Bendigo in 1994, and Mural for the Bendigo Nursing Recruitment Centre, Killians Walk, Bendigo, in 1996. In 1999 Simmons undertook the commissioned work ‘Sorrento Lodge’ Sorrento Lodge, Sorrento, VIC.
Simmons has held solo exhibitions at Artistry Galleries, VIC, with a solo exhibition in 2006 at the Australian Embassy, Washington DC, USA. He has participated in many group exhibitions, including ‘Works on Paper’, Bendigo Art Gallery, Bendigo, VIC, 1997 – 1999, Capricorn Coast Art Festival, Yappoon, QLD in 2000 and Artistry Galleries, Malvern VIC 2003 – 2006.
Simmons’ work is represented widely throughout many national and international private collections.
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