It was standing room only at the debut of Max de Roy’s Six on the Dot exhibition on Tuesday night (February 2) when at 6:00pm on the dot the sheets hiding the art from view were thrown back to reveal all to a loyal gathering of supporters, friends and art appreciators.

Five of the six artworks of Max’s new style were showcased; a style he describes as an amalgamation of pop art, in the form of the Ben Day dot printing process, and classical oil painting, in the form of still life and semi-realism.

The style provides two different planes of viewing which force the viewer to really interact with the picture, former Mount Aspiring College student Max (formerly Max Hall) said.

“Lots of people were really interested in the new style... And there were lots of those ‘aha’ moments when I was talking to people, which was the aim for this collection; the change in perspective… and all of a sudden, understanding as all of the dots line up, if you will,” he said. 

Two of the five pieces have already sold.

The sixth artwork of the collection never appeared - “the phantom picture, the one that doesn’t show up”, Max said, “that’s an unreleased piece, a piece that I painted and then enjoyed so much that I've now kept it at home. 

Two of the five artworks have already sold including “Push” his most confrontational piece, Max said. 

“I was once told that if you like your art enough you should just hold on to it.”

Max said many of those who attended Six on the Dot were long-time supporters of his work and had also flocked to his ‘Mockingbirds’ exhibition, a combination of wit and anthropomorphism on brickwork, launched at the same venue on Ardmore Street two years ago. 

He said it was nice seeing new faces in the crowd but he was also very grateful to the many who attended last night and who have supported his art career.

“It’s very heartening to know that there's still a lot of people in my hometown that really appreciate what I'm doing,” he said.

So why the name change and the new direction in style for the 20-year old? 

“This... is my debut collection, I've not hidden from calling this the new collection from Max de Roy. It is not to be confused with a painting by Max Hall,” Max said.

He said the change in persona and style did not devalue his work as Max Hall in his eyes. His name change, which reflects not only his father (who tragically died when Max was a teenager) but also his local roots in Roys Bay, Wanaka, was “never about running away from who I was”.

Instead it’s about creation; creating a new place for himself in the fickle world of commercial art.

“Art is not a hobby for me. If I could do something else better, I would,” he said.

“I paint because I want to push certain boundaries of art, in practice and in business,” he said. “I have a lot to prove in the constant evolution of my work that someone like me, who’s young and, let’s face it, unknown, can survive and genuinely find a place for myself in this market.

“I never want to be known for a [single] style; I want to belong to a very new, very interesting period known as ‘sensationalism’.

“That is the period we're living in now. It's so exciting.

“It's about this confrontation of where we sit in class, in gender, in the world. It's this confrontation of are you prepared to recognise what you are on this planet, in this time? It's a confrontation with death; it's living now, it's all about the world we can see and touch and it's about the senses. It's sensationalism.

“You know, I've always thought I was born either a century too early or too late [but] I think about this style of art and I'm actually really happy to be alive right now.”

Max alluded to a new body of work he will be showcasing in the near future; “I am in the middle of working out a series of big shows [but] it’s still top secret”.

Meanwhile, Max de Roy’s debut collection ‘Six on the Dot’ will remain on exhibit at 123 Ardmore Street (near Kai Whakapai) from 10:00am every day, from now until February 9.

PHOTOS: Wanaka App