Jan Senbergs - Map Art

Melbourne Capriccio 4 (2009)

The Latvian born Melbourne based artist Jan Senbergs is having an exhibition at Niagara Gallery in Richmond from 28 July 2009. His original apprenticeship was in silk screen.

Here are three works from the exhibition. They are acrylic on linen and paper.

Now this is a very specific style, which will not be to everyone's taste but I found myself quite enthralled and challenged by it. A number of the works in the exhibition (two are shown here) are effectively out of perspective aeriel views of Melbourne.

These works are to me very reminiscent of those Medieval maps where all the relevant landmarks (eg far away mountains) had to be depicted even if logic and perspective meant that they were actually too far away to include. To those people, and to the later explorers in the 1600s the world was alternately very very small or horrifyingly large. So every little object had to be crammed into the map.

Or is it a representation of the city on the edge of the earth, just tipping over? I love it.

Melbourne Capriccio 1 (2009)

Altered Eureka Tower

And I must say thank you to Niagara who have faithfully sent us their beautifully printed exhibition cards for 10 years now, without us buying a single painting. I know that many others would have deleted us from their mailing list by now!

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