Tohby Riddle - Exhibition of New Work

TOHBY RIDDLE

FOREWORD

In his first solo exhibition in a commercial gallery, armed with a background in painting from the Sydney College of the Arts and a celebrated career as a picture book creator, Tohby Riddle presents a series of intimate paintings depicting diverse vignettes from his hometown, Katoomba (and occasionally beyond). The seemingly mundane subject matter of Riddle’s paintings is treated with a masterly understanding of light, colour, and how different times of the day can reveal a wistful or poignant scene of an urban environment worthy of our consideration.

Riddle elevates everyday subjects to the realm of art, imbuing them with a sense of nostalgia and curiosity. The paintings eloquently serve up a calm and evocative glimpse into often-ignored scenes we may pass every day: a telephone box, a shopfront, or a parked car. Mostly devoid of people, the paintings are arresting in their meticulous attention to detail and instil within us a sense of mystery and also familiarity.

Exploring the intersection between photography and painting, Riddle’s work delves into the complex relationship between these two art forms, offering viewers a fresh perspective. While photography may capture a decisive moment, Riddle’s paintings insist we linger longer and take into account the subtle changes in hues or the depth of heavy shadow. The paintings invite us to be voyeurs of scenes permeated with quiet tension, leaving us conjuring an unspoken narrative or fleeting moment just missed.

There is a quietude and stillness in Riddle’s chosen compositions, based on his photographic meanderings around town. In deciding on beginning an artwork, he asks, When should a photo become a painting? The answer may come by way of the quality of light captured or alternatively, an affection for the subject and its inherent poetic quality; a distillation of meaning in an otherwise ordinary subject.

In 2022, Riddle exhibited at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre in their Exposé program (recently retitled ‘Altitude Program’), where several of his artworks from the exhibition were purchased for the gallery’s permanent collection. For his contribution to books for young people, Riddle was nominated for the 2022 Hans Christian Andersen Medal. For ten years, Riddle was also the cartoonist for Good Weekend magazine, the weekend magazine of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

James Blackwell Artist

February 2024

Morning Bins II

acrylic on board

30cm x 30cm

Transformer Box, Katoomba

acrylic on board 30cm x 30cm

$1800

Woman in Red Coat

acrylic on board

Walking Down to the Corner acrylic on board

30.5cm x 40.5cm

$2400

While We Were Sleeping

acrylic on board

40cm x 40cm

$3000

Dusk, Katoomba Street

acrylic on board 30cm x 30cm

$2100

Still Life with Cup, Ball and Vase

acrylic on board

20cm x 20cm

Still Life with Ball, Vase and Cup acrylic on board 20cm x 20cm

$900

Transformer Box, Katoomba II

acrylic on board

20cm x 20cm

Street Corner Still Life II

acrylic on board

61cm x 45.5cm

$3800

Little Cloud

acrylic on board

20cm x 20cm

The Jamieson from Narrowneck

acrylic on board

45.5cm x 61cm

$3800

Passing Carriage

acrylic on board

30cm x 30cm

Empty Carriage Passing

acrylic on board

$2200

Burning Car

acrylic on board

20cm x 20cm

Camp Street Hill

acrylic on board

20cm x 20cm

$750

Lurline Street Scene

acrylic on board 45.5cm x 61cm

Café Man

acrylic on board

30cm x 30cm

$1800

Morning after Snowfall, Katoomba

acrylic on board

20cm x 20cm

Morning Bins

acrylic on board

30.5cm x 40.5cm

$2200

Motel Chair

acrylic on board

20cm x 20cm

Roadside Bins, Camp Street

acrylic on board

30cm x 30cm

$1800

Man Looking

acrylic on board 40.5cm x 30.5cm

Van in the Driveway

acrylic on board

45.5cm x 61cm

$3800

Van in the Tunnel

acrylic on board

30cm x 30cm

Twilight after Showers, Wentworth Falls

acrylic on board

45.5cm x 61cm

$3800

Brakelights on the Bend

acrylic on board

20cm x 20cm

Before

the Night Falls

acrylic on board 30cm x 30cm

$1800