These four painters certainly are for paint, and all the effects the medium can reach when applied with a high level of skill and appreciation for it's properties. Each artist takes the viewer on a different abstract journey via the physical aspects of paint (colour and viscosity) and its ability to open the mind's eye.

Exhibits by Helen Forbes are composed of layers of paint then enhanced with industrial materials such as jute, tin, wire, and rivets to give her work a sense of timelessness and potency. Some exhibits evoke thoughts of Celtic talismans or ancient ritual grounds, as they host ambiguous lines and shapes that might be found carved on stones. For example Moon Connection involves a large painted disc flanked by irregular rectangles. The use of textured paint in multiple tones of grey, pieces of tin, and lengths of wire fixed to the surface all work together to suggest a primitive idol, or ancient armour, or the moon raising between pillars at Stonehenge.

All Forbes' exhibits, the large impressive works and the equally powerful small canvases, display excellent use of a limited palette. Compositions in multiple shades of grey and black are joined by works in a variety of ochre hues and creamy whites. Forbes manipulates the paint's texture well and transforms thick fabric and thin metal into viable materials for art giving her exhibits a sense of strength and elegance. She is able to maintain a balance between the rough and the refined so even the most complex exhibits have an overall sense of resolution.

Well balanced and ideally resolved compositions are also presented by Jules Sher. His works take us on a flight over the Australian landscape however we don't encounter the broad vista, instead the artists concentrates on the remnants of man's incursions on the land. His aerial aspect, minus horizon and iconic land forms, magnifies the effects of those who attempted to bend the land to their needs. Shapes, lines, colours reference paddocks, roads, mine shafts while the the manipulation of the colour and consistency of the paint suggests sunlight reflecting off harsh ground, or shadows moving over the land.  Shadowland includes a rich blue field hosting two squares (paddocks?) one a lighter shade of blue, the other a violet tint. A fine line runs from top to bottom, another creates a curve. The composition could suggest night slowly rolling across an (abandoned?) outback station,
or the well placed elements may be interpreted at will.

Sher's formal abstractions take us to a place of peace. His compositions of ideal balance show us what painting is all about, the relationship between lines, shapes and colours. He strips away the 'object' to reveal the 'painting' and in doing so allows space for contemplation on any subject that comes to mind while viewing. Sher also allows us to discover how well-manipulated paint can sing.

Ralph Stanton's canvases also celebrate paint. He lays down multiple layers of pigment to create rich textures that seem to explore the physicality of the medium. His works call to the viewer from a distance while close inspection rewards us with glimpses of some underlying activity. The texture and hints of other colours suggest something else lay just beneath the surface, the memory of another idea perhaps. The startling red of Magenta Sunset demands attention while the churning, almost diagonal sense of movement of the surface mesmerizes. The overall power is checked by one small vertical and one horizontal slash of 'multi-coloured' white. These marks provide handles we can cling to as we continue to search deep into the painting and discover remnants of other ideas. But are they the artist's or our own?

Stanton constructs with the paint; the viscosity of the medium is worked as are colour combinations. It is the process of painting, the layering of colour and knowing when to stop, that seems to appeal to the artist. These exhibits invite tactile inspection but when we move closer we don't touch, instead we seem to fall into infinity.

Geoff Wake holds us firmly on the surface of his work. Here he employs grids, symbols and broken pieces of letters that make up the words 'Mi Amigo', the title of this series of paintings. Wake works with muted hues and letters to create puzzles that need no deciphering, just appreciation for the ability to make exciting works of visual art that communicate on a level beyond just the sense of sight. The large diptych Dawning is an excellent example of the different things we see and ways we interpret what is before our eyes. Each canvas wears a grid of painted squares with letters sprinkled about. One canvas is all orange with subtle manipulations within the colour, the other is a black, seemingly carbon copy. Although they are butting up against each other, it isn't until you see the small touch of orange on the black canvas that you find the 'emotional' connection between the two. So many ideas of healing, hoping, loving come to mind to make the experience quite rewarding.

Wake's grids on square or rectangular surfaces reveal the artist's ability to work the paint and each colour's tonal nuances. We begin to wonder if the hue is deep orange or umber, grey or black and then don't care as we start to see the medium as a means of evoking whatever it is we are searching for. Perhaps the Mi Amigo of the series is in fact Wake's friend; the paint itself.

There is a connection, between the artists and their art works, that speaks eloquently in this exhibition. These four painters are indeed for, and about, paint and painting. Good show, take your time or view it, or visit it more then once. There is a great deal to see and think about here.