In the chambers of the sea: Frankston to the cities.
Rick Amor 1970–2026

This major summer exhibition represents a rare and timely opportunity to celebrate one of Australia’s most respected living painters at a pivotal moment in his career, Rick Amor.

In the chambers of the sea: Frankston to the cities will bring together more than five decades of Rick Amor’s work in an ambitious and distinctive format, alongside a substantial publication. Grounded in Frankston yet reaching across national and international contexts, the project reflects McClelland’s commitment to presenting work that is both deeply local and widely resonant.

The exhibition will take on a unique curatorial approach, presenting a large salon-style hang that features one painting from each year across five decades. This format will enable audiences to follow the evolution of Amor’s artistic practice and to draw meaningful visual connections throughout his life’s work to this point.

McClelland is the natural home for this project, given its longstanding relationship with Rick Amor and its location within a region central to his life and art. The artist himself often comments that “it all starts with Frankston” in speaking of his work and its concepts.

This exhibition highlights his work in the context of urgent contemporary issues, such as climate change, social alienation, and urbanism and explores how these themes shape our understanding of his achievements as a Romantic-styled pictorial painter. By engaging with these topics, In the chambers of the sea Frankston to the cities seeks to reach not only those already familiar with Rick Amor’s art but also new audiences. It reinforces the reflexive nature of his life’s work, presenting it within a contemporary framework.