“The Hughes Gallery is pleased to announce the second solo exhibition of Hobart based artist Alan Young. Young’s work is a celebratory document of everyday life. His confident, expressive line and contrast of vibrant colours make for bold, energetic images that depict the world of the artist.

“Young has always used canvas and paint to respond to his surroundings. In Young and Modern, this encompasses the sports he loves, his travels through Hobart and interstate and the people that inspire him. He has taken this exhibition as an opportunity to develop new ways of depicting the connection between figure and landscape, using the setting of works such as Mr Cool (Dr Michael Welch) to further express the personality of his subjects.

“At first glance, Young’s paintings appear light-hearted and child like, however with closer examination an underlying sarcasm and cynicism of contemporary life becomes apparent. Despite this, any critique is done in a humorous manner and only adds to the quirky, joyful nature of the works. Likewise, the simple, heavy blocks of colour belie the layers of paint that Young builds to get his 'embedded effect' and to create a sense of movement. Every colour and form is cleverly and strategically placed to add to the narrative and allow Young's work to be rich in meaning.”

— The Hughes Gallery