Press Release: Sam Wade

Samuel Wade (b.1979)
New Paintings
Opening Saturday 17 October 2009, 3-5PM

Following three successful exhibitions and his award of the Brett Whiteley Scholarship in 2006, Eva Breuer Art Dealer is pleased to announce the opening of Sam Wade's New Paintings 2009. This suite of recent paintings marks a return for the artist to the urban environment, the source of inspiration behind the artist’s first and second solo shows with Eva Breuer Art Dealer.

Wade explains his interest in the urban environment this way: “It interests me that the vast majority of Australians live in urban areas, yet historically we seem to have relatively few figurative painters of note who regularly reflect on this common experience.”

The works seek to recreate fleeting moments on station platforms or city parks. Wade uses the techniques learnt in his traditional art training to create these images, constructing a dialogue between commonplace existence and artistry. The iconic figures of mother and child or a figure exuding pre-Raphaelite beauty may appear on a station platform, for instance. Special care in the portrayal of atmosphere and time of day acknowledges the legacy of the impressionists, while the introspective possibilities offered by the tradition of portraiture are also explored.

Samuel Wade was the recipient of the Le Gay Brereton Drawing Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 2001, the Alice Bale Traveling Scholarship in 2002, the Brett Whiteley Traveling Art Award in 2006 and was a finalist in the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize and Mosman Art Prize in 2009. Wade has also taught at the Julian Ashton Art School since 1998 where he was the youngest ever teacher.