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Amongst Oak Leaves by Michael Porter

Amongst Oak Leaves by Michael Porter
Accession Code: wu0651
Title: Amongst Oak Leaves
Date completed: 1991
Medium: Painting
Location Name: Picture Store

Michael Porter carries out meticulous observation of the natural world. He revisits select sites of which he has great personal knowledge in order to record the almost imperceptible changes of growth and decay within them.

Using a camera in lieu of a sketchbook, he overcomes the problem of working away from the subject with black and white photographs providing the reference for his work. The artist describes his work as 'discovery painting': the more you look, the more variety you see. They reflect his interest in the minutiae of nature and its effect on the landscape.

Michael Porter's paintings evoke rather than portray nature; they are a product of his own experience and intimate knowledge of a certain place.