Josh Fartch
Contemporary paintings by Josh Fartch
Melbourne-based painter Josh Fartch is known for his contemporary use of colour and light. He has exhibited widely, with numerous solo and group exhibitions across Australia and the UK. Fartch holds a Masters in Fine Art (Research/Painting) from Monash University and works from his studio at River Studios in West Melbourne, Australia.
While deeply rooted in painterly tradition, Fartch’s work strikes a bold, contemporary chord—responding to a collective desire for raw, unfiltered expression in an era dominated by digital manipulation and curated realities. His paintings blur the boundaries between intention and chance, order and chaos, embracing a distinctive immediacy that feels uniquely his own. The deliberate use of exposed linen anchors the vibrant colors, providing a tactile counterpoint that invites the eye to rest amid the visual intensity. What truly distinguishes this series is its fearless embrace of contradiction: these paintings resist closure, instead pulsing with energy. They challenge viewers to dwell in tension, to find beauty within discomfort, and to engage with the unresolved complexity at their core.
He has been awarded the John Shaw Neilson Art Prize and the Limestone Coast Art Prize. His creative practice has also extended into performance, working as visual artist in theatre.
‘Like life, painting has moments of creation and destruction; somewhere in between these two states is my painting practice. My work draws on the study of materials and process and the indeterminate nature of in-between states: between representation and abstraction, material and immaterial, the real and virtual, tomorrow and yesterday.’ – Josh Fartch