KEY POINTS:
Auckland artist Scott Gardiner portrays an ominous side of nature in his newest set of paintings. He has plenty of fuel for his imagination, having survived the Boxing Day tsunami in Sri Lanka.
Gardiner was living in Hikkaduwa on the south coast of Sri Lanka in 2004, one of the areas worst-hit by the devastating waves which claimed 35,000 Sri Lankan lives.
A keen surfer, he sensed danger when he saw the reef on which he surfed had been sucked dry. After alerting locals and tourists, he was chased by the waves back to his guesthouse.
"One of the most enduring memories I have is of the stairs of our guesthouse being swallowed in a brown current," Gardiner said.
"You always imagine that a disaster would be loud and chaotic. But it was a beautiful day, calm with blue skies and no wind. The waves just crept in, and the only sounds were cracking trees and buildings crumbling."
This irrational, darker side of nature was one of the influences on his newest exhibition Shadowlands.
His works are not a literal interpretation of his experience in Sri Lanka, but he does not deny the disaster had an effect on his art.
He references 19th century romantic painters, in particular their sense of the sublime in nature. His barren landscapes feature no lushness or brazen colours. Snowy peaks, craters, and bare ranges are backed by ethereal skies, hinting at a spiritual presence.
"The works are spiritual in a number of ways. I am very connected to the landscape, and in touch with the tides, the movement of ocean, and winds."
His love for the ocean means the disaster has not put him off surfing. However the trauma of the event has left a mark on his wife Bianca: "She still hesitates to put her head under water, as all she sees is suffering and people dying."
He is quick to emphasise that his paintings are not morbid or hopeless. He aims for a delicate balance between "spiritual optimism" and "fears about the future direction of our planet".
Gardiner had lived in Sri Lanka for three months a year since he graduated with a Master of Visual Arts in 2003. The cheap living allowed him and Bianca, who designs textiles, to pursue their creative passions without financial pressure.
The experiences after the tsunami were just as influential on his life and art.
"I never ever thought I'd find myself chasing a truck down the street, trying to get hold of rice and water."
Going against the flow of the exodus of tourists, he remained in Sri Lanka to assist with the rebuilding of the Hikkaduwa community.
He denies the title of environmental crusader, but is tentative about his impact on nature. He does not own a car, and lives in an area where all he needs is at his fingertips.
* Shadowlands is showing at Whitespace gallery in Ponsonby until October 20.
