Press Release 2008 With his paint-stained Dulux t-shirt and workman’s trousers people assume Chris Lees paints houses, and he doesn’t contradict them. “Freedom has always been important to me. When I was younger, if I didn’t like what I was doing, I would just walk away. I would get in the car, maybe even travel to another state, and simply trust that I would find other work. I feel privileged to be in this position – painting full-time. I don’t want to get cocky. I don’t want to see other artists as competition…that is why I take on the ‘tradie’ persona.” Lees’s process is straightforward. He begins with a sketch which organizes the painting, creating a sense of balance and proportion that is transposed onto the canvas, working to achieve a composition that is harmonious. The resultant landscapes are still, stark, and mysterious. Devoid of people and fauna, they echo the experience of the painter in the studio with only his creative muse for company. “I exaggerate space and the elements of landscape which makes my work theatrical, but colour is the key…I want to ensure that people understand my work is concerned with the Australia landscape– I love those earthy colours.” Lees respects the canon of Australian landscape painting. “When I first started painting I was interested in how Arthur Boyd created works using fine brushes.” Amongst his recent series, the painting "Keeper of the Lake" is an homage to Nolan, with a monumental boulder echoing the Kelly series. “I am not painting like Sidney Nolan – I’m not even interested in mimicking another artist’s style. But I want to acknowledge the importance of whom and what has come before in this genre.” His favourite pastime, fishing, often guides his compositional choices. “I like creating sheer cliff faces and the towering mountains. I have travelled to many places in Australia. The paintings don’t depict a specific place. Instead I want to convey a feeling about the Australian landscape… If I’m not fishing I like to paint a place where I would like to fish…and I love to paint water.” That striving for fresh expression is evident in his artwork. Christopher has not been academically trained. He says that he has ”... never been with a teacher so I am a lot freer. For me, painting is instinctual. I know if a painting is working – practice also helps guide instinct…I would like my work to live on and I am conscious that people are buying works for investment. I want (the works) to last 500 years, so I use great materials.” Having held twelve solo shows at Libby Edwards Galleries, demand for his work is now driven by overseas and local collectors. Lees is represented in corporate and private collections in Australia, Asia, Italy, and the UK.