The enigmatic figures from Norman Harman’s new series of digital paintings “Random Acts of Painting”, stare into the distance with glazed candour but also with a sense of sudden abandonment, as if they have been lifted from the surplice stills of some arthouse movie. They are caught in random moments, unaware of the viewer which lends a hazy voyeurism to these blurry figures set against abstracted backgrounds. Harman tips hat to influences such as old NYC footage, talking heads and the 1980’s all whilst expressing his skills as a master of oil paint into portraits and figures which are juxtaposed against urban backgrounds. Smooth digital glazes of paint merge into thick impasto brush marks which hint at tranquility but this is soon disrupted by the sense of some feverish narrative taking place beyond the edges of the painting. Harman leaves us with the impression of some kind of urban timeline, with figures and motifs interwoven; both connected and disconnected. He turns us all into true voyeurs - only wanting to see more. ‘Random Acts of Painting” by Norman Harman is being exhibited at Future Art, Sydney.
