A two-man artistic showcase created by a talented father and son duo from Sutherland is being held in February.
Kevin McKay and his son Jay are putting their shared passion for art together at a gallery that will include more than 30 oil paintings.
Depicting Sydney's urban and coastal environment - with many of the pieces showing the scenes of Cronulla, the artworks symbolise the pair's equal adoration of their surrounds.
Jay paints moody seascapes inspired by Sutherland Shire beaches, where he finds emotional grounding in the ebb and flow of the sea.
"I am drawn to Cronulla's coastline where I lose myself in its emptiness," he said. "I observe the behaviour of light, stillness and movement in the interface between earth and sea which elevates my mood. I try to express this in my paintings, believing there is something universal in the need to visit the sea."
By contrast, his father Kevin, a seasoned urban landscape painter, focuses his eye on the architectural shapes of Sydney. For this exhibition he has chosen work that alludes to Sydney's place by the sea.
"The built environment fascinates as a manifestation of the human mind that frames our daily lives and records our history, but it is also shaped by the geography of place and the sea plays a powerful role in our identity as a city," he said.
This will be Jay's first commercial exhibition, although he also has artwork in ARTEXPRESS 2024 at the Art Gallery of NSW, which opens February 7. "I'm taking a break from studies, but am continuing to create and will see where that leads," he said.
Kevin, who teaches art and paints in his studio at Sutherland, says it's a thrill to see his son's emerging passion for art. In 2021, Kevin was a semi-finalist in the Doug Moran National Prize 2021 for his portrait of his son Jay.
"It's a privilege to share this exhibition with him," he said. "Despite differences in our focus, we are each responding to the drama of light, the poetics of space, and a sense of the sublime in the world around us."
This exhibition is funded by Matt and Sue Quinliven from Gymea in memory of their son, Troy Quinliven, a former alumnus of the National Art School and departed colleague of Kevin McKay.
Geoff Harvey, artist, former teacher, mentor and family friend to the McKays will open the show on February 22 from 6pm-8pm at M2 Gallery, Surry Hills.
City and Sea is open until February 27.
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