Michael Vale's First Major Survey at Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery

The Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery is set to showcase Michael Vale's inaugural major survey exhibition, titled 'the Cuckoo, the Herring and the Trembling Tambourines,' from 28 February to 31 May 2026 in Victoria. This exhibition will display thirty significant paintings created between 2008 and 2026. Born in Albury in 1952 and currently residing in Melbourne, Vale is a self-taught artist known for his work in video, film, and music, as well as his teaching role in painting at Monash University. Influenced by figures such as James Ensor and old masters like Anthony van Dyck and Peter Paul Rubens, his collage-like technique employs elements from diverse sources, infused with gothic absurdist humor. Vale was a finalist for the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize in 2021 and frequently participates in the Archibald Prize. The exhibition’s title alludes to a recent artwork and underscores his penchant for appropriation, particularly referencing Ensor's 'Skeletons Fighting over a Pickled Herring' (1891) and his passion for music.