In landscapes rendered in acrylic, watercolour and pastel, Oliver Gerhard’s love of art and the natural environment intersect. Although not formally trained as an artist, he has developed a recognisable style, moody, richly coloured and often heavily textured. Having grown up in rural South Australia, his appreciation of the Australian bush and the outback has been a constant source of inspiration for his art.
Catching the song 2018
In his 2018 Catching the Song exhibition, Oliver Gerhard explored his love of trees, drawing out the music in their dancing forms and feeling their agony as victims of the unrelenting assault of the human species upon the natural world.
After the Rains 2022
Floral orbs hover over outback landscapes after drenching rains bring the desert to life.
Exhibited as part of the 2022 South Australian Living Artists (SALA) festival, these works are inspired by Oliver's journeys through the arid regions surrounding Lake Torrens, the second largest of South Australia's magnificent, ephemeral salt lakes. Oliver has elevated the viewer's experience with Augmented Reality (AR) enhancements, animations and soundscapes. See below for instructions on how to experience these.
The soundscapes were composed by Simon Koehn using synthesisers. Simon is an Adelaide based sound designer with a Bachelor’s degree in Sonic Arts (Hons) from the University of Adelaide. For more, visit his Instagram page.
Exhibited as part of the 2022 South Australian Living Artists (SALA) festival, these works are inspired by Oliver's journeys through the arid regions surrounding Lake Torrens, the second largest of South Australia's magnificent, ephemeral salt lakes. Oliver has elevated the viewer's experience with Augmented Reality (AR) enhancements, animations and soundscapes. See below for instructions on how to experience these.
The soundscapes were composed by Simon Koehn using synthesisers. Simon is an Adelaide based sound designer with a Bachelor’s degree in Sonic Arts (Hons) from the University of Adelaide. For more, visit his Instagram page.
To experience AR enhanced works on your mobile device, follow the following steps:
1. Find the Artivive app in the Google Play Store (for Android devices) or the Apple Store (for Apple devices)
2. Install the app onto your device (it’s free to install and you don’t need to register or provide your details)
3. Open the app on your device
4. Point the device’s camera at the artwork (e.g as displayed on a computer)
5. View the AR on your mobile device’s screen as you keep pointing the camera at the artwork
6. Make sure the sound is on so you can hear the soundscape
7. Move the device forth and back , up and down, to get in close or see it from angles
