Alan Somerville

On occasions when describing the skill of a noted figurative artist, the term Master is regularly misguided and recklessly applied. In our desire to forge the echelon of Australian art, we tend to nourish this sense of autonomous order and accepted hierarchy. Frequently we are momentarily obtuse in our appetite and craving for the Masters, present and past. Rarely however, is the artist’s skill and ability in direct proportion to the reputation and publicity they tend to generate. As a consequence, we are often disappointed.

Alan Somerville is an unashamed Modernist, whose sculptures and drawings are steeped in the expressionist style of Rodin, Degas and Daumier. Somerville’s grasp of shape and form is as self-evident as is his dynamic depiction and romantic notion of the human anatomy. Poetic territories are explored, and these qualities are borne from his uncompromising dedication and understanding of a medium that few present day figurative sculptors possess. Movement and expression is important to Somerville, his work seeks to capture a dignity which emanates within, and the subject is never static.

Somerville is a fiercely principled artist, and his reluctance to allow his artistic integrity to be compromised for the sake of a lucrative commission is well documented. His body of work is both broad and critically acclaimed. His numerous public works include the two iconic bronze Diggers on Sydney’s Anzac bridge, The Bull at Sydney’s World Square, plus countless private commissions.

There is no self-appointed atmosphere of importance to Somerville’s work; it is borne purely from his necessity to create and present art distinguished for its emotion, energy and action. For Somerville, it’s not just a simple representation, not just a single dimensional concept. It is more about the soul, and the spirit that dwells within.

Previous exhibitions

>> Aphelion // 19th July – 4th August, 2012
>> Sagacity // 22nd September – 15th October, 2011