Anthony White’s 89 Seconds to Midnight presents a powerful visual response to ecological and political crisis
Anthony White’s latest exhibition, 89 Seconds to Midnight, at Art Works Gallery confronts the viewer with a searing visual commentary on the state of a world teetering on the edge. Referencing the most critical setting of the Doomsday Clock, just 89 seconds from midnight, this new body of work is a visceral response to the converging global crises of ecological breakdown, rising authoritarianism, and societal fragmentation. White’s paintings serve as both a warning and a call to action, offering landscapes that are as haunting as they are beautifully defiant.
Rooted in deep research and lived experience, Anthony White’s practice explores the political dimensions of landscape painting. His canvases present fractured environments, raging bushfires in Tasmania, stark snow covered Siberian plains evoking gulag histories, and other liminal terrains, that embody geopolitical and emotional unrest. These are not passive sceneries, they pulse with urgency, memory, and resistance. Each composition captures a moment where beauty and devastation coexist, echoing a world caught in a perpetual state of collapse and survival.
White’s ongoing engagement with postcolonial themes, civil rights, and the role of visual art in public discourse is evident in every stroke. His art is layered with symbols and coded narratives that challenge viewers to look beyond surface aesthetics. Pieces like 89 Seconds (2025) and Snowscape (Gulag) (2024) underscore his commitment to bearing witness to collective trauma while reimagining possibilities for healing and resilience. Through these works, White reframes catastrophe not as an endpoint but as a transformative threshold.
The artist’s intellectual rigor is supported by his immersive residencies, including a pivotal stay in Rome that allowed him to explore concepts of societal collapse through a European historical lens. This international perspective enriches the deeply localized references in his paintings, from the Australian bush to the polar fringes of Russia, all connected by shared existential threats. His ability to merge the personal and political has become a hallmark of his style, balancing emotional depth with scholarly insight.
Anthony White’s career spans continents, shaped by studies at the National Art School in Australia and the New York Studio School, and anchored in his Paris studio. Recognized by cultural organisations such as the Cauz Group (Australia) and the Author’s Society for Graphic and Plastic Arts (ADAGP) in France. Supportive critical reviews include Art Collector Magazine, Vault, and Elle Décor US, White has firmly established himself as a vital voice in contemporary art. His previous Manifestation series, informed by a fellowship at the National Library of Australia, further illustrates his dedication to art as a form of civic engagement and historical reflection.
All images courtesy of Anthony White, shared with permission
Website: https://www.anthonywhite.art
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthony_white_paris/
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