Lot 22

Commissioned from the artist through Sullivan+Strumpf, Sydney (label verso)
Private collection, Melbourne

Michael Zavros' paintings are painstakingly produced, brushstroke by careful brushstroke, to produce impeccably rendered photo-realist paintings that leave the viewer in awe. Whilst the artist has delved into a variety of mediums, including photography and video work, it is the canvas that he continuously returns to exploring ideas of luxury, commercialisation, and above all, beauty.
Across Zavros' nearly three decades long career, his paintings have continued to demonstrate his devotion to realism. In a society filled with digital and photographic imagery, and the immediacy of these mediums and platforms to deliver a commercialised ideal, Zavros' meticulous paintings are a luxury within themselves.

"In viewing a painting by Zavros we witness his devotion to his subject. There is evidence of the beauty he feels in his infatuations, as measured in the time, care and technical know-how that he employs in painting his subject so beautifully. In this way, the viewer is not necessarily agreeing to love what the artist loves but, instead, appreciates the beauty felt by the artist, and can share in his emotion without committing to his specific desires." (1)

Consistent across many of Zavros' paintings is the presence of beauty. Not only in the enviable skill the artist displays with his brush, but also in his subjects. In Abs, the artist highlights our obsession with self image and the pursuit of the ideal body. Here, the ideal form is stripped back to bare bones - literally. Posing like a fashion model, the skeleton lays itself across the canvas, chin lifted with confidence. The subject remains the sole focus, with the canvas background pure white, untainted by any implications of space or depth. Not one to shy away from a touch of humour, the painting's title Abs is imagined by Zavros through 6 pure white flowers, arranged like the ideal 6-pack. The flowers are a direct reference to the beautiful, but the combination of skeleton and bouquet parallel as a classic memento mori reminding us that underneath it all we are still but human.
Michael Zavros remains one of Australia's most celebrated painters, with works in nearly every institutional collection. His paintings are a series of rhythmically applied layers, each rendered with a sharp focus and attention to detail that allow Zavros' exploration of beauty to remain ever present.

Olivia Fuller
Head of Art

(1) Mckay, P., Michael Zavros: Beyond Beauty?, Art Monthly Australia, May 2015, number 279, p.59

Courtesy The Artist and Sullivan+Strumpf