Gordon R Carmichael is a self-trained, outsider artist based in Sydney. His abstract, nature-inspired works express and inform what he sees, feels, and experiences—exploring themes of climate change, solastalgia, and the interconnection of sentient life between landscape, place, and identity.
Carmichael’s artwork develops naturally and organically, almost as if it were growing. Rather than meticulously planning each detail, he works from instinct and intuition, allowing marks to emerge spontaneously. Inspired by forces beyond the visible world, he explores how our senses connect us to the environment and how painting can become a portal into that felt experience.
A distinctive part of his process involves folding the canvas with paint in between, then applying guided pressure to create symmetrical patterns echoing those found throughout nature. This technique is refined by adding and removing layers, letting raised textures form visual pathways that invite exploration.
His use of rich metallic pigments plays with light and movement, symbolising freedom and impermanence. Organic forms suggest life’s energy while also hinting at its fragility and ephemerality. The resulting works engage with ecological consciousness and point toward a presence beyond the material world—a connection between creation, creator, and the deeper field of awareness that binds all living things.
