Melbourne
2023
Overnight Oats is about connection, yet this exhibition is to be floated through, never landing heavily but rather streaming along on heavenly oils, the scent of egg and bacon in the air. What coheres this carefully chosen suite of paintings is a sense of connection - whilst there are no figures present in his work, a strong presence is felt - as if everyone has just left to collect their fish & chip orders at the same time. The campsite compositions allude to the amalgamation of sensations inherent to warmer weather; the coming together of honeyed and sticky sun layered light. The exhibition floats by with a mellow collage of dusty orange tarp, bright green tent straps and luminous gum trees, which powerfully demonstrate the vibrancy, energy and nostalgia of Summer.
Melbourne
2024
This year, the shift in seasons somewhere between Summer and Autumn brought about an addition of surprisingly vibrant yellows and pinks to my palette, which is an interesting indicator of what I saw and where I was at the time. There’s even a glow of lemony yellow and geranium pink along the inner edges of the frames. Back in the studio, I scratch and layer paint back and forwards across the surface to show texture, pollen, bush-smoke in the air, intensity of light, scent and sound. In fact, the title of the exhibition, ‘Surely, this must be the place they sing about’ is a funny head-nod to the importance of music and a reference to Home. The importance of process - walking, looking and processing it all through painting makes up the foundation of my practise. Colour and light is the most vital part of ‘Surely, this must be the place they sing about’ - brightening, sharpening, softening, shifting and even disappearing, according to the season and time of day. Essentially, the way that I paint is the way that I see the world, similar to a filter over what we see.
Melbourne
2021
‘Pan Flute to a Dog’s Ear’ is a deep wellspring of powder-coated, sun faded nostalgia. Viewed as a whole, the works are a warm morning trickled into a mild evening, with precious details of luminous watering cans, creamy concrete porches and delicately limned leaves. Fixated on the allure of sampling the neighbourhood, Bower's offers us a rare glimpse into a world of private emotion, made richer for its seclusion.
Melbourne
2019
Low Maintenance explores familiar scenes in Bowers' everyday life. The paintings are loosely based on his photos, taken whilst exploring the suburbs of Melbourne. This collection of work builds on his ongoing architecture series which blend realism and abstraction - exaggerating the subject and adding a new layer of significance.