Bruce Luxford

After a career in the Advertising industry that saw me become an Agency senior creative, working on national advertising accounts and as a freelance design consultant I am now a ‘full time’ painter with a studio alongside my residence in Seatoun, Wellington, NZ.
While working mostly in oils on canvas the subject matter is quite varied. In my landscapes, that can feature rural, lake and coastal scenes, I may include a visual commentary on the spread of material affluence from major urban centres to rural and coastal environments and the visual impact this is having on the landscape. As this particular direction evolves, the landscape and imposing Man made structures become metaphorical in the deliberation of the time cycles for Nature as a whole and Mankind as a resident (Earth) species.
Other topical, current affairs sometimes become subject matter for paintings also.
All this draws an enquiry into human values and a search for ways of reflecting the intrinsic qualities that consciously or unconsciously underpin the driving forces we can universally recognise. Works are produced that ask the viewer to reflect on broad view, cross – cultural
observations of how we regard the 'empirical' world we find ourselves part of.
There is a ‘journey’ to take, exploring the familiar and unfamiliar within the boundless fields of scale, space and illusion, but retaining that vital thread with human values.
Critical embrace of these phenomena is leading me to explore figurative, surrealistic work with equivocal content that may encourage conversation from the viewer.
Humour is often present in the work.

Works have sold independently and through various galleries to NZ buyers as well as to collectors in the USA, Japan, Hong Kong and Australia.
I am an active member of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts and winner of the 2009 Gordon Harris Art Award.