Angus Nivison – Things have changed
Whilst known for his works that draw inspiration from the natural surrounds of his property in the Northern Tablelands of NSW, Nivison returns to Utopia with a solo exhibition that looks to the sky.
In ‘Things have changed’ Nivison presents paintings that range in their intensity, subject, colour and form, which promises to be a highly varied and emotive experience. In his practice, his abstract paintings are anchored by their connection to the natural environment, presenting nuanced depictions of places. It is Nivison’s considered mark making that has enabled his abstract works to seem both familiar and other at the same time.
In his approach to painting, Nivison states, “My work mostly deals with landscape, memory and the human condition. The paintings are really a personal dialogue. I offer the image and a title, it is then up to the viewer to complete the conversation.”
Gleaning an insight into this upcoming show, the titles to catch the wind, star turn, the wind rises and the remains of the day, suggest a turn of Nivison’s focus, looking upward from the land to the sky. Focussing upon the changing light of the day, the movement of the wind or the endless night sky, there is a temporality that has been captured in the works. The titles create a subtle dialogue between the artist and viewer, resisting the didactic, which enables other interpretations and layers of meaning of the works to emerge.
Full of movement and lightness in his gestures, and drawing from the energetic shift of nature, ‘Things have changed’ promises an encounter with the ephemerality of nature – the stars, the light and the wind.
EXHIBITION
Angus Nivison | things have changed
3 – 24 June
Opening: Saturday 3rd June
Utopia Art, Sydney
Courtesy the artist and Utopia Art Sydney.


Michael Vale views colonialism as the elephant in the room when it comes to Australian history and Australian art. He observes that through a strange...
(for Michael Petchkovsky) You passed so quickly, it pulled the oxygen out of the air Drawing sorrow in behind you, like a myst Burning...
While most of Hobart is asleep, Maggie May Jeffries is crawling around in her backyard nasturtiums with a torch, finding inspiration in the intricate details...
i make it so that that every place i live is my home so i put my bed on the wall closest...
after Gbenga Adesina The first text message was sent as the year closed. Before that, red-faced men stood and demanded translation. They wanted us...
Evie Adasal always wanted to paint, but she hesitated. “I graduated from art school in the ‘90s in photography and film,” she recalls. “When I...
Frank was born in Singleton, New South Wales in 1959, and has been represented by Roslyn Oxley9 since 1982—a relationship that spans more than four...
Standing before a luminous artificial sun or walking through rainfall inside a gallery, audiences might mistake spectacle for Olafur Eliasson’s primary concern. Yet, beneath the...
The exhibition unfolds as an ode to Country, grounded in careful engagement with land and the ongoing presence of First Nations custodians. Slee returns, in...