WILLIAM MACKINNON

Unpretentious spaces are the protagonists of William Mackinnon’s artworks, in which the mundane is infused with excitement, unease and hints of the sublime. Empty roads stretch out before the viewer, dark forests are illuminated by a car’s headlights and vacant suburban gardens await a homecoming. “My paintings are an expression of what it feels like to be in the world,” says Mackinnon, whose large-scale scenes tap into memory and shared experience. Experimentation is crucial for the artist, who employs a wide range of techniques from thick impasto to splattering, throwing and sanding. Using rich layers of visual information, contrasting textures and innovative perspectives, Mackinnon creates emotional landscapes which demand us to observe the everyday with wonder.

William Mackinnon was born in Melbourne and currently works between Ibiza, London and Melbourne. He studied at Melbourne University and was studio assistant to Kim Westcott and Tim Maguire before completing post-graduate training at the Chelsea School of Art and Design (London, UK) and Victorian College of the Arts (Melbourne, Australia). He has held over 20 solo exhibitions, received numerous awards and featured in group shows at prestigious venues including NGV Melbourne, the Art Gallery of South Australia and The Royal College, London. Mackinnon’s work is held by collections and institutions including NGV Melbourne, Parliament House Art Collection (Canberra), Artbank Sydney and Colección SOLO.