Landscape and nature are the themes that link the works of five local and NSW artists brought together in ‘Autumn Selection’, the latest exhibition at Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery which opens on Friday, May 11.
Small landscape paintings by 2016 EMSLA winner Kerry Johns titled ‘In the Company of Trees – An Open Response’ are inspired by working in the open in the forests around Canberra and on the NSW South Coast.
Elizabeth Tinker’s ‘Cloudscapes’ question whether we take the time to really experience and feel the true scale and power of nature. Her explorations of Green Bluff headland at Moonee Beach are both inner reflection and also an examination of light and life. Her paintings reinforce the idea that seeing and feeling the sublime can be an everyday experience.
Timna Taylor works from a studio in a forest north of Grafton. In this exhibition, she shares her joy in the Australian landscape. Her pottery brings together her love of painting with the idea that art can be held in your hand. She describes it as to take “a piece of the earth and make something beautiful that is a pleasure to use and joy to hold”.
Glen Wilkinson’s work is also centred in the natural world. He creates utilitarian vessels and forms that draw attention to the colour, texture and otherwise overlooked aesthetic qualities of the discarded fibre commonly found in garden waste.
Frances Larder’s wall hangings and video highlight the ‘Landscape of the Soul’ – specifically the experiences of the Buitenkampers, an almost forgotten people of mixed Dutch and Asian descent who were forced to flee their homes in present-day Indonesia due to war, occupation and revolution.
It is based on personal interviews with Buitenkampers who came to Australia and highlight the complex dynamics of trauma, memory and the loss of identity and belonging that occur through upheaval.
The ‘Autumn Selection’ will be officially opened on Friday, May 11, from 6-8pm. Entry is free but bookings are recommended via https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/opening-night-autumn-selection-exhibition-tickets-44540074562
All the artists will also be hosting a free Interactive Tour of the exhibition on Saturday, May 12, from 10am–11.30am followed by morning tea. Book your place on the Tour via https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/autumn-selection-interactive-artist-tour-tickets-44936133184
Pictured above is Kerry Johns working in the field.
