Light and dark from the "Keeping the black dog at bay" series

Surfing has been part of William Mackinnon's life for many years, not only as a form of recreation, but also as an anchor for his emotional wellbeing. His work intertwines distinctively Australian tropes of surf culture with his own deeply personal story of depression, learning and resilience. The three large scale paintings created for the Basil Sellers' Prize, from a series titled Keeping the black dog at bay (2016) build a narrative of an emotional journey. Evoking the motif of the family road trip, Light and dark sees a lone car, packed to the rafters, winding through the dark, isolated roads leading to the ocean. In the Soup depicts literal and figurative turmoil, with lone surfers all but lost in a tumultuous sea. The postcard-like perfection of The Upswing employs compositional harmony to convey a sense of tranquillity. Each scene serves as a metaphor for psychological states: downward spirals; immersion in turmoil, heartache and loss; and the experience of emerging from these experiences, calm and grounded. The richly tactile surfaces and large scale of Mackinnon's paintings engulf the viewer, creating a window into another world and inviting the audience to share the artist's journey.