John Baird is one of Australia's finest contemporary painters with a career spanning multiple decades that has captured the imagination of the public. His enthralling, graphic and enigmatic depictions of Sydney Harbour and his whimsical still life works are synonymous with Baird's oeuvre.
This year marks Baird's fortieth year as an exhibiting artist, and to mark this incredible achievement, a major survey exhibition of his work is on display at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery. Curated by Rodney James, the exhibition traces Baird’s beginnings as an artist through to key examples drawn from his most recent paintings, drawings, collage, and sculpture. Unique features of the exhibition include a mini-tableaux comprising paintings, hand-built furniture and associated table-top sculptures, a wall of inspirations (sketches, photographs and musings) and a group of new paintings specially produced for the exhibition.
'The Authentic Consequence' explores the artist’s exploration of the frisson between the real and the imagined, and the innate difference between what is seen and what can be felt. Landscape and seascapes are richly loaded evocations that ameliorate past histories and combine fresh observations with memories, shared experiences, and storytelling. Surfaces pulsate, shift and transition over time as they do in the arrangement of his still lives.
This exciting new exhibition asks: ‘How does art communicate and what is its continuing relevance?’
A must see for any admirer of Baird's work, the large exhibition features works past and present showing his incredible career to date. The exhibition continues at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery until 16 November 2025. Don't miss it!
This year marks Baird's fortieth year as an exhibiting artist, and to mark this incredible achievement, a major survey exhibition of his work is on display at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery. Curated by Rodney James, the exhibition traces Baird’s beginnings as an artist through to key examples drawn from his most recent paintings, drawings, collage, and sculpture. Unique features of the exhibition include a mini-tableaux comprising paintings, hand-built furniture and associated table-top sculptures, a wall of inspirations (sketches, photographs and musings) and a group of new paintings specially produced for the exhibition.
'The Authentic Consequence' explores the artist’s exploration of the frisson between the real and the imagined, and the innate difference between what is seen and what can be felt. Landscape and seascapes are richly loaded evocations that ameliorate past histories and combine fresh observations with memories, shared experiences, and storytelling. Surfaces pulsate, shift and transition over time as they do in the arrangement of his still lives.
This exciting new exhibition asks: ‘How does art communicate and what is its continuing relevance?’
A must see for any admirer of Baird's work, the large exhibition features works past and present showing his incredible career to date. The exhibition continues at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery until 16 November 2025. Don't miss it!
25 September 2025
