The unique, dramatic and magical paintings exhibited at Milford Galleries Dunedin in Gary Waldrom’s show New Works, demonstrate why he is one of New Zealand’s significant painters. His provocative dreamscapes entice the viewer into an imagined world where one has an active involvement in unravelling the relationships, narratives and symbols within the work.

Gary Waldrom has a distinctive yet varied painting style; from his tightly and skilfully rendered application in Girl with Horse I (Second Series) (2008-09) to his expressive and gestural brush work in Blind Girl Dance (2008-09) to the almost drawing like quality of Bench Seat Conversation (2008-09) where shadows of previous marks are still visible.

Characters and figures play an important role in Gary Waldrom’s works and their unrevealing yet inquisitive expressions are familiar and at times unsettling. In the work Three Girls Watching II (2007–09) both the viewer and the girls within the work take the position of onlooker.

His works elude an atmospheric glow; this could be due to the regional light of both Gary and his characters. The hills and grasses are instantly recognisable in Gary Waldrom’s work Swamp Wader (2008-09) and the architecture of Jack-Hammer Jimmy and his Daughter Dolores (On Sunday) (2008) reflects a rural New Zealand town, once thriving with industry and now almost ghost-like.

It is difficult if not near impossible to liken Gary Waldrom’s works to that of any other painter. His intuitive scenes are highly individual yet at the same time they are strangely familiar. The power of his work is evident in its physical and psychological impact; in experiencing Gary Waldrom’s alternate realities one takes part in the drama unravelling before them, an exploration that is unforgettable.