Australian landscape painter William Mackinnon lives and works between Ibiza, the United Kingdom and Australia and his current exhibition at Hugo Michell Gallery reflects this sense of displacement.

He combines landscapes with observations from everyday life to present a notion of what it’s like to exist in the world. Drawing on personal experiences, McKinnon’s paintings can be seen as both an internal and external landscape.

The exhibition, titled 1000 Joys and 1000 Sorrows, captures the full spectrum of emotions associated with the challenges we face in life. Mackinnon uses these personal experiences to share his reflections on living in the world

“Hopefully it’s like a good novel where there’s an intersection between historical, cultural and personal elements,” says Mackinnon. “I hope people can really relate to it, and it feels very lived and real, but also poetic.”

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Paintings such as Showing your true colours depict quintessentially Australian landscapes, but they are not necessarily realistic. Mackinnon presents fragments of memories as well as what’s immediately around him. This series, which incorporates elements of his life in Spain as well as imagery from Australia, delves into themes of home and nostalgia. The paintings express his longing for the ritual and simplicity of family life.

“There is a sense of questioning ‘where is home’? I have this longing for these staged, almost cut-out beach houses,” explains Mackinnon. “Are they real? Are they solid? Does that still stack up, or is it an adolescent dream?”

One of the standout pieces in the show is the diptych, 1000 Joys and 1000 Sorrows. It encapsulates Mackinnon’s collage style where he employs various media and techniques. He incorporates automotive oil, plaster, acrylic, oils and liquid nails to create surreal landscapes. Mackinnon enjoys the painting process and relies on intuition to create detailed paintings that draw the viewer in.

“I am trusting the process,” remarks Mackinnon “They look really ugly until they don’t and this allows me to push them. I often find myself in tricky situations that I have to paint my way out of.”

He references Tehran-born, Los Angeles-based artist, Tala Madani who said: “You have to trust the medium to show you what is in the back of your head which you haven’t accessed yet.”

Mackinnon uses recurring imagery such as the road to draw the viewer in. He employs simple, everyday subjects to convey the complexities of real life. After spending time with Mackinnon’s work, the familiar becomes the unknown taking us on a journey into his world.

“I try to use every day recognisable subject matter such as the road so you can jump straight in. It’s a useful device and it carries people into the picture, into my world,” explains Mackinnon. “I think I am the road in a way, all these decisions, possibilities and life is happening along the way.”

For Mackinnon, creating these paintings is also a process of discovery. It’s a conversation with himself and all the art that has come before him. There usually isn’t a plan, rather, he relies on the feedback between the world and his materials. His work represents both a personal exploration and a discovery of the medium of painting and its limits.

Coinciding with the exhibition is the launch of a monograph celebrating Mackinnon’s practice over the last 10 years. This publication features stunning images of the artist’s work along with essays by acclaimed writers Chloe Hooper, Kirsty Grant and Dr. Lisa Slade.

William Mackinnon: 1000 Joys and 1000 Sorrows is showing at Hugo Michell Gallery until December 7.