In what was once an unlikely union, painter Martial Cosyn and sculptor Sam Larwill have come together to present their latest artwork.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The artists’ second joint exhibition, Rust and Colour, is on display at the Old Town Hall in Bowral.
It features Martial’s vibrant, eclectic oil paintings alongside Sam’s serpentine and statuesque welded sculptures.
Martial, originally from France, described his work as “tongue-in-cheek”.
“It’s inspired by everyday life with a wink in the eye,” he said. “It’s very engaging, bright, colourful and happy.”
Using oil on canvas, Martial said he tries to bring out the whimsical elements of daily life, painting scenes from both Australia and France.
In one painting, entitled ‘Circus at the In-Laws’ (pictured) Martial has depicted a family scene, featuring a man donning a horse puppet costume.
“I enjoy painting things that put a smile on people’s faces,” he said.
“My paintings have always been colourful and happy, but before I mostly painted still life and now it’s becoming more figurative.”
Sam’s rustic sculptures fill out the other half of the exhibition.
Made from recycled tools and gadgets, like edgers and ploughers, sourced from farms and junk shops, Sam said he tries to find a balance when arranging the objects in a sculptural form.
“’It’s just where it all fits together,” he said.
The sculptor has an entire shed full of recycled objects to choose from, including nine tonnes of material from an old sulky business in Berrima.
A plumber by trade, Sam said he finds the process of creating his welded artwork remedial.
“It’s not something that I do religiously and I hadn’t done it for a while before this exhibition, but it was great to get back into the shed.”
The two Highlander artists have known each other for two decades, and have been on four camping trips together in the desert in Central Australia, where they create art and “talk a lot”.
“We have a hell of a time out there,” Sam said.
“We take our art seriously but not ourselves,” Martial said.
Rust and Colour will be on display at Bowral’s Old Town Hall from Friday, October 6 until Tuesday, October 11.
Sam and Martial officially open the exhibition at 6pm on Friday evening.
