Motionless is the new solo exhibition by Brisbane-based artist Keith Burt at Jan Murphy Gallery.

Keith Burt’s paintings evoke a darkening mood, objects from his every day have a stark presence as still life, and his portraits possess the uncanny sense of friends and family. He is compelled to accurately paint what he sees, sometimes working quickly and loosely, but always looking to get to the heart of a subject.

“2020 felt motionless. Still life painting fits perfectly with this year. It is staying inside. It is exploring what is around you. The bottles, jars, cups and foliage in these paintings are all taken from my immediate surrounds…” Keith Burt, 2020

Motionless is Keith Burt’s first exhibition at Jan Murphy Gallery. In 2020, Burt won the Brisbane Portrait Prize with a portrait of Matthew and Daniel Tobin (founders of Urban Art Projects). He has exhibited extensively in Brisbane and Melbourne and been a repeat finalist in the Archibald Prize (2017, 2019), a finalist in the Brisbane Portrait Prize (2019), The Churchie National Emerging Art Exhibition (2010, 2011) and the Clayton Utz Art Prize (2013).

Image credit: Keith Burt, White flower, 2020, oil on canvas, 30.0 x 30.0 cm (detail)