Sheffer Gallery - Impromptu

A casual stroll to Darlington from Redfern Station to view a show for my very first review for the famous Sixtoeight.net and what a stroke of luck running into it’s founder recently as I have almost read the entire Blog. Have enjoyed it immensely since stumbling across it early one morning.

This show is a collection of magical moments, a whirlpool of emotions that follow contentment within each separate practice but enveloping each other to create an incredible sense of being. Standing in front of the turneresque cloudscapes, I felt a whispering in the wind, immediately imaging Grafton Artist Bernadette Trela standing on a hill with wind swept hair and a cold brisk air gently patting her face and a deep rumbling of the darkest clouds on the distant horizon. These paintings all in a row are mesmerizing, a snapshot of each cloud in our sky communicating their heavenly existence with us mere mortals.

From ethereal to stark abstraction, the bold and glorious meshing of monochrome and vivid, these paintings by Orange Artist Larissa Blake are intent to subdue the viewer with their pools of colour and dripping paint. Reflecting upon the architectural landscape can I be so daring and say that this artist my be our next Elisabeth Cummings with a hint of Dale Frank.

The wonderful colour studies and reflective repetition which plays a big part in the works of Sydney Artist Julieanne Mills, stencils of magic retro landscapes, the colour wheel has been reinvented. The flatness of the paint has that mid-century quality of Robert Motherwell and the brilliance of colour coordination from today’s Artist Louise Tuckwell.

Petite, polite, unassuming and sublime, Sydney Artist Craig Rowlands ceramic ornamental jars are a wonderful sense of definite sensibility. From the organic to the downright playful, they suggest we look closely at the varying dimensions, the mix of techniques and temptation to touch. More playful but also very delicate brush strokes of Kandos Artist Fleur MacDonald’s doily paintings, a constantly wandering mind of recycling and re purposing the humble wooden monkey pod, reminding us of the lost art of embroidered doily’s which our dear Mother and Grandmother hand stitched and showed off around the house. Ones that were popular in the 70’s which came in different sizes and shapes like leaves and pineapples marvelously renewed into objects of desire.

Best show so far this year!!!

Florian Bernardo
Guest Reviewer

20th June - 30th June 2018
www.sheffergallery.com

The Slab - Postcards from Laika

What a wonderful exhibition, perfect for the ‘Year of the Dog’ although a little sad regarding the theme for the show. ‘Postcards from Laika’ the first dog to go unwittingly into space and to have a heart attack before leaving Earth’s atmosphere. But forever remembered for her bravery!

23 Artists from the Blue Mountains and beyond were invited to contribute a work primarily A5 in size to go into a silent auction to raise funds for equipment for The Slab, a fledgling ARI based in Hazelbrook and run by Miriam Williamson & Brad Allen-Waters.

Contributing Artists are: Pam Vaughan, Judith Martinez Estrada, Chia Moan, Fiona Davies, Ian Milliss & Wendy Carlson, Fleur MacDonald, Sarah Breen Lovett, Billy Gruner, Caroline Wilde, Vivienne Dadour, Beata Geyer, Fi Kanera, Emma Rooney, Brad Allen-Waters, Graham Davis-King, John Prendergast, Jacquelene Drinkall, Anne Hughes, Miriam Williamson and Ivy Frechtling, Pearl Frechtling and Tallulah Costa.

The opening of this show was fabulous, with an amazing sound performance by Brad Allen-Waters and Jon Drummond, Brad on his hand made Aesthetiscope (a formal kinetic sculpture “The Aesthetiscope” expressing the physics of optics, the essence of early to mid 20th Century design and analogue electro mechanics) This thing blew my mind, Brad has made a unique piece of Sound Art out of found objects sourced from everywhere. It is a thing of mesmerizing beauty and if ever you get a chance to see it perform then do not hesitate to see it.

Oh there was cake too, Miriam is a fantastic cake maker, a Sputnik Cake and a CCCP Cake and they were Sooooo delicious!

The beauty of silent auctions is that you don’t know who did what, it’s also a great way to start a collection as these works are affordable. So many great and gorgeous works to choose from such as No.7 ‘Saint Laika, Patron Saint of Unwilling Martyrs’ mixed media, you can see it’s made with love with strings of pearls as stars in the sky and the surface of a planet, the tiny dog face peering out of the small window of the pressed and thin cut tin.

The painfully sad No.6 ‘Let Me Out’ it’s as if Laika was tearing at the inside of her ship to get out, demonstrated in the torn canvas. No.3 ‘USSR Dog in Space, clearly written here in painted Russian. No.1 ‘With Love to Laika’ Dry point etching oozes a love for all dogs. The woven work No.21 ‘Laika’s Dream’ made with stainless steel, silk, cotton, metallic thread and copper, it’s gorgeously luxurious. No.18 ‘signal in an Orange Universe’ watercolour, is a little ripper with it’s vibrant orange background and sensitive green.

No.15 ‘In space no one can hear you bark’ acrylic & pencil, a silent sensitive work in mainly black and white, dark sky, white dog quietly reflective. A cat amongst the dogs, No.12 ‘First Cat in Space’ sharing it’s true story in all it’s colourful glory. Oh to be a dog, No.11 ‘Doggie in Space’ watercolour, I think it’s title references that movie with Michael Hutchence, but the painting is oh so sweet.

If you need more information or want to see this show then hurry as it closes 20th February, the silent auction closes mid night 19th February and you can register to be a bidder via miriam@southernphone.com.au or message the Facebook page The Slab.  There are Rules as in minimum bid $20 with a minimum raise of $5.

I’m hoping I can come home with one so don’t miss out!

Fleur MacDonald
20th January - 20th February 2018
www.facebook.com/The.Slab.12/

Gallery 47 - Damian Castaldi

“Our Town” a collection of portraits of some of the inhabitants from Kandos and Rylstone, a cheeky look at the different characters that make up the two towns.  Damian took the happy snap approach, sometimes unawares but mostly with his recipients permission.  The portrait of ‘Deb No.14’ has the air of contempt, her eyes giving Damian that sly sideways look as if he is about to be roused on.  I remember the event well as it was a hot sunny day in the backyard of a Kandos local.

‘No.6 Bruce’ almost with an eerie quality, captured between blinks and before his passing, may he rest in peace.

Another Kandos local ‘No.5 Cowboy’ with his faithful dog has been given the painterly affect, the boldness of the red dirt enveloping the figure while the dog hides in the shadow, the gorgeous mountain basking under the wide blue sky.

‘No.1 Colleen & Caroline’ looking like two tourists snapped while holidaying on the French Riviera, but alas they are in Kandos and happy to be photographed by the wonderful Damian.

It was great turnout for the opening in Rylstone at the popular Gallery 47 with delicious wine from the local Naked Lady Winery.

Fleur MacDonald

6th - 29th January 2018
www.facebook.com/gallery47rylstone

Noosa Regional Gallery - Nicola Moss

Nicola Moss’ exhibition, ‘Life on the edge’ at Noosa Regional Gallery sets the tone for the region’s Floating Land Festival which celebrates the natural beauty of Noosa, the river foreshore and surrounds.

The show ponders the question, ‘What value does a healthy environment have for you?’ and Noosa’s Biosphere Reserve presents a unique ecology for the artist to work within. She sees the region as being dedicated to people and place where lifestyle balances environment, economy and social well-being. With this in mind Nicola Moss set out to explore the value of healthy environment to local communities and visitors to the region.

The dedication of volunteer bush carers; numerous energetic lifestyle activities and the forest symphony of birds resonate strongly with this artist. Her own experiences in the region, including walking in nature reserves, sitting beside creeks painting, quiet observation along National Park trails, hugging giant hoop pines, sailing across Lake Cootharaba and visiting tree farms have contributed to reflections on place in the featured artworks.

Over the year of creating work for ‘Life on the edge’, a theme developed highlighting relationships between trees and water, and how these contribute to healthy ecosystems. Clean waters are a key quality throughout the Noosa Biosphere Reserve, from hinterland creeks to Noosa Spit dog beaches it is evident.

‘Life on the edge’ presents the results of papers carried on site to be stained with tree bark rubbings, charcoal burnishing or adorned with tiny individual brush drops of watercolour. These are melded with numerous conversations and observations. She has also created in the studio with layering processes of cutting, interweaving and collaging of elements. The resulting artworks harbour countless stories of place, identity and human interaction.

Floating Land is a five-week arts festival of exhibitions, events and workshops in nature about nature, the highlight of which are the sculptures created in outdoor natural settings. Its aim is to leave no mark on the environment but only to make an impression on the people who visit.

Nicola’s show and the festival continue until 15 October.

Nicola will also be running workshops at the Gallery. For more information go to noosaregionalgallery.com.au/floatingland

Guest Reviewer
Amy Clarke

8th September - 15th October 2017
www.noosaregionalgallery.com.au