Fran O'Neill: On the Move

21 March - 9 August 2026

Fran O'Neill's large-scale paintings are charged with kinetic energy. Working in the field of contemporary Abstract Expressionism, an art movement that arose in post-World War II America, O'Neill fuses colour field and action painting together, pushing paint across the canvas with gloved hands and arms to produce sweeping gestures of luminous hues.

To achieve this effect, O'Neill thins her paint, increasing its fluidity and translucency—and accelerating the drying time. As a result, each painting must be executed in intense, concentrated bursts: a day to paint, a day to reflect, and a brief window to adjust while the surface remains workable—otherwise, she starts again.

This arduous method requires focus and physical stamina to manipulate the paint. While the works project an impression of spontaneity and ease, each is underpinned by extensive process-based research, contemplation, and engagement with art history. Though layered in complexity, the works remain open to interpretation. What do the colours suggest? What forms emerge? There are no right answers, only the experience of the encounter.

Fran O'Neill is this year's SAM Selects exhibitor, an annual opportunity open to artists, curators, and community organisations to present an art exhibition in SAM's Community Gallery.

About the Artist

Fran O'Neill (b. 1971 Wangaratta, VIC) lives and works in Cheshunt, Victoria after spending several years in New York, USA. She holds a BFA from Monash University, completed post-graduate studies at the New York Studio School, and obtained her Master of Fine Arts at Brooklyn College. O'Neill has exhibited extensively and her works can be found in public and private collections in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Featured artwork: Dore Stockhausen, timeless terrain, 2024. © the artist

Curator:  Caroline Esbenshade

Location: Hugh D.T Williamson Community Gallery, Level 2

Free