Ned Kelly on his mechanical horse

Painting on canvas from my popular Ned Kelly series . The painting portrays the Australian outlaw Ned Kelly astride a remarkable mechanical horse. Kelly, recognizable by his iconic square helmet with a slit for the eyes, exudes an air of defiance and determination. His steampunk-inspired armor hints at a fusion of history and futuristic technology.The mechanical horse, meticulously detailed, features gears, joints, and rivets, evoking a sense of intricate craftsmanship. Its metallic body contrasts starkly against the vivid red background, which fades into lighter hues toward the horizon. The warm red palette envelops the entire composition, creating a harmonious unity that both intensifies the emotional depth and ties together the disparate elements of the scene. The choice of color conveys a blend of passion and warmth, mirroring the fiery spirit of a man who defied the odds. Acrylics on canvas.

Dimensions are 50cm by 40cm

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I am full-time contemporary Australian painter having completed a Master Degree at the European Academy of Arts in 1997. I generally paint under the name "Max Horst". Exploring the nature of people and the relationships between them, my paintings are very often short stories of small,daily moments of life. I distill these relationships through simplified forms and shapes, developing my own code of symbols - a code which is constantly changing and developing over time.In my quest for simplicity and honesty I draw much of my inspiration from cave paintings and naive art, “because I find them very honest as a form of art”.Using oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, I may mix them with drawing techniques. Natural pigments of earth colors are the base of my palette. With an intuitive preoccupation with color, form and line my work belies a carefully considered composition and an appreciation of the nature of human interaction.