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ExhibitionS
Movement of the Sun
1 - 28 October
Opening event Sunday 1 October 1pm
John Falcon
In an exploration of lineage and survival, Falcon embark on a journey to unravel the lives of his forebearers who once navigated existence during times of environmental tribulation, echoing our contemporary experience of climate change. Through both physical and psychological upheaval, they confronted, adapted to, and triumphed over challenges, much akin to our own current predicament.
In this exhibition, Falcon invites you to traverse the corridors of time, where past and present intersect, where the resilience of ancestral wisdom converges with the urgency of today's environmental challenges. May this fusion of cultures serve as a testament to the tenacity of the human spirit and inspire collective action as we stand on the threshold of an uncertain future.
Image: Tecuauhtlacuepeuh, 2023. Mixed media on watercolour. 75 x 55 cm.
HER Story, Hilda Eileen Ramsay
3 - 30 September
Opening event Sunday 3 September 1pm
Christine Johnson
HER Story is about Mallee botanist Hilda Eileen Ramsay, (1886-1961).
I have been retracing the steps of Hilda Eileen Ramsay’s pioneering work in the unique and complex eco-system of the Mallee in northwestern Victoria, a landscape that has evolved over millions of years.
Ramsay’s botanical collection created from the many specimens she collected on field trips in the region in the 1950s is now held at the National Herbarium of Victoria.
Ramsay’s field notes and nature writing both reveal a palpable sense of her intimate relationship with nature; she sometimes transcends the scientific, offering a glimpse into the realm where the sheer beauty of nature lifts the soul. Or, as French philosopher, Simone Weil writes, “attention taken to its highest degree, is the same thing as prayer.”
In the six decades since Ramsay’s death, her passion for the mysteries of the flora of the Mallee carries its own invaluable legacy and continues to inspire others, in botany, land conservation and regenerative agriculture. New plants are still to be found, some almost pre-dating time itself.
Image:
White Cypress Pine, Callitris glaucophylla. Archival pigment print. 40.5 x 31 cm (image). 55.5 x 42 cm (paper). Edition of 15.
Funk up the junk
3 - 26 August
Opening event Thursday 3 August 6pm
Nichola Clarke
In an Apocalyptic world Evolution takes place and plants creatures and human rubbish evolve into their own unique whimsical species.
My aim is to educate communities on how to use junk from their household and local businesses and turn it into art.
To inspire community groups to see how their everyday trash can be turned into amazing sculptures or installations.
View the Exhibition Catalogue here.
Image: Strelitziwheelus, 2023. Nichola Clarke. Gas fittings, milk bottle, tap fitting, plastic bag, fur, paint, key, suction cap toilet roll holder, wire screws, metal brackets acrylic paint & varnish. 35 x 28 x 33 cm.
good grief
2 - 29 July
Opening event Sunday 2 July, 1pm
Curated by Chris Fraser
Emma Astill, Bridget Byrne, John Corbett, Chris Fraser, Anne Hederics, Bob Jankowski, Heather Lee, Ginette Lanyon & Maddie Ruchel
Grief, loss and grieving are universal experiences that we are all challenged with throughout life. This exhibition was driven by a desire to look to the artistic community and friends to explore creative ways of supporting each other in the process of dealing with the ongoing experience of grieving.
The practise of art can assist the healing process. It is something much more than a means of expression from school days. It can be explored on a daily basis, it can be a means of relaxation, it can be exercised at different life stages and it can even result in meaningful exhibitions such as good grief.
Making art fits alongside physical exercise, appreciating nature, creating, sharing and connecting with others to contribute positively to our mental and emotional wellbeing.
Image: Books of the Dead, detail, 2023. John Corbett. Fabric, thread, found objects, aluminium.
arcana
1 - 28 June
Opening event Thursday 1 June 6pm
Jasmine Murphy
I believe that all of us have a light inside, and it's up to us to decide whether or not we want to share it with others.
My art is about that journey—the need to perform for others, while still wanting to connect within a deeper realm of understanding and unity with those we feel close. To be truly vulnerable and express emotions without fear of rejection or judgment, to be in this moment of release and acceptance, is a feeling akin of magic. It's when one's vulnerability is shown and understood by those who listen without bias or opinions, or being influenced by their own hurts, that then, true healing and progress can begin.
Over the last two years, my art has helped me explore this light which hasn't been seen in a long time. Whether by choice or subconscious protection, I have used it as a gateway to open a conversation with trusted people and start a journey of healing. It's time to let go of the secrets that have bound hearts and minds and to live in a freedom we all deserve experiencing.
Image: Uncovering Truths, detail. 2023.
Felines & Flora
4 - 27 May
Opening event Thursday 4 May 6pm
Daniel Whitford
I am inspired by the colour and shapes in nature.
This collection is a series of works that I have created from what is directly around me. My garden and my cats - Grace (dec.), Arwen (dec.), Dusty and Dennis.
I have battelled my whole life with depression and extreme anxiety, so I tend to create art inspired by subjects which around me.
The flora is from my garden and sketches are studies I have done locally which also include the Deakin Avenue plantation and the Australian Inland Botanical Gardens.
Image: Cats in the Landscape 1. 2022. Oil pastel on canvas. 50x50cm.
Chapter 4
5 - 29 April
Opening event Wednesday 5 April 6pm
Aaron Bailey
"At the core of the work in 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 4 is a willingness to open a dialogue, a parley, and to invite the viewer into not only the gallery space but their own private and public moments. These parleys give the viewer a choice, an invitation to look closer. You can walk into the gallery and view the work or you can become part of the works through your own questions and conversations" A. Bailey.
Image: Untitled No 2. Chapter 1 site sample, Photomontage. 2021
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Thinly Veiled Ulterior Motives
9 - 31 March
Opening event Thursday 9th March 6pm
Joshua Morgan Taylor
Thinly Veiled Ulterior Motives is a series of paintings, drawings and sculptures I’ve made in my room and on my veranda over the last 2 years, trying to figure out what I want from myself as an artist – forcing myself to be honest, working both against and with irrational irks and bad habits I’ve developed over time that make it hard for me to make work that feels like it’s actually mine.
I want to be honest about what I make art about – I’m a gay man, making art about being a gay man. My work is about growing up queer in online spaces, in the unique conditions a lot of queer people my age have come of age in. I want to unapologetically make art about these spaces that gave me a sense of belonging when I had none growing up – Fandom spaces, anime fans, furries, fanart sites, forums etc. I use the idiosyncratic visual language I’ve absorbed from being part of these communities to tell coded stories about myself and my friends, mixing fine art language with lowbrow in-jokes, memes and internet detritus.
I want to run the risk of not being understood – to run the risk of making ugly, stupid art, I’m sick of pretending that’s not what I want.
https://www.instagram.com/viciousidiot/
Image: Thinly Veiled Ulterior Motives, Acrylic on canvas
Field
2 Feb - 4 March
Opening event Thursday 2nd Feb 6pm
Heather Lee, Memoir, Suite I
Christine Johnson, Ephemera
‘Field’ is a term laden with a multitude of meanings thereby inviting individual interpretation. For some, it signals a sense of place, a locus, an area of open land bounded in some way or as an area of interest, a field of study.
For Christine, the term carries a specific meaning when contemplating the work of Mallee botanist and field naturalist, Eileen Ramsay who helped establish the Sunraysia Field Naturalists Club, here in Red Cliffs in 1949.
For Heather, the concept of the field is expansive and symbolic, the realm of untapped possibilities, a place of memories bound up in the lasting influences of those who shape us as individuals.
Johnson and Lee first met in 2015 by pure happenstance. For Johnson the meeting inspired the research that has since become the focal point of her work. For Lee, the encounter re-ignited her creative practice. It is only fitting that both artists are now sharing their knowledge and experiences in this exhibition.
‘Field’ reflects the poetic experience and the sustained journey taken by two individuals who came together through opportunity, chance, possibility. The mysteries of inspiration, creativity and expression are at the heart of this exhibition.
Read the Ephemera catalogue here.
Image: Memoir, Suite I (geranium), Heather Lee, 2022-23. Mixed media on pitch embossed Fabriano paper, 49.5 x 42 cm.
2023 Jacaranda Art Prize
2 - 28 January
The Jacaranda Art Prize is themed on the Jacaranda in bloom (Oct/Nov) and welcomes entries from emerging and established artists working across any medium (including painting, drawing, photography, mixed media, and sculpture) of works 30x30cm.
Further information here.
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