Return To Forever

There is a temptation to think that artists eventually ‘arrive’. That after decades of practice they develop a signature style, master their craft and finally stand at the summit of their success. Michael Whitehead dispels that as mere fantasy and instead describes making art as “an endless road trip”. Every painting leads to another question. Every breakthrough reveals another possibility. Every exhibition marks another milestone on the journey, rather than an ‘arrival’.

Growing up through the musical and cultural revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, Michael admired artists who challenged convention rather than followed formulas. Experimental musicians such as Frank Zappa inspired him because they refused to accept established structures, much as abstract painters abandoned traditional ways of seeing landscapes and representation.

“I guess music is a subconscious influence, I always have tunes in my head.” The influence appears not only in the rhythm of his paintings but also in their titles, many borrowed from memorable song lyrics or books. “I don’t go searching for titles, they just pop up from memory.”

That connection between music and painting carries into his newest exhibition, Return to Forever, named after the influential 1970s jazz fusion band. The exhibition brings together a cohesive collection of works linked through shared materials, gestures and atmosphere rather than a literal narrative. It is Michael’s third exhibition with The G Contemporary, continuing a relationship that has helped his evolving abstract practice reach an ever-growing audience.

This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the artist and immerse yourself in Michael’s brilliant new collection, whilst enjoying a complimentary champagne reception in the fabulous The G Contemporary art space on Hastings Street, Noosa Heads.

To discuss any of these stunning new works by Michael Whitehead please contact the Gallery Directors Steve Beardsley on 0400 716 526 or Karen Beardsley on 0400 716 553 or by email at art@thegcontemporary.com

The exhibition is online and on view until Sunday 18 October 2026