ORANGE WALL GALLERY

Plein Air Park: Recreational enjoyment of light

Julie Purcell

10 January to 2 March 2019

Julie is a Queensland College of Art graduate with a bold, impressionistic style of painting. She created the works for this exhibition “en plein air” in Millar Vale Park in Maryvale. “En plein air” is a method of painting outside the studio in the open air popularized by the Impressionist artists of the late nineteenth century. It coincided with the introduction of readymade artist canvases and paint in tubes. It created opportunities for artists to capture people at leisure and the effects of light on the landscape at different times of the day.

Julie’s paintings are small as she developed a ritual of riding her bicycle to the park with her painting materials stowed in the bicycle basket. Spending time in the park helped her understand the joy of the park experience – relieving stress, observing nature and learning to enjoy the solitude.

She also started leaving her finished artworks in the park tucked into the hidden spaces on an old tractor. The public’s interaction with the artworks added a new dimension to Julie’s creative process starting conversations and revealing small appreciative interventions to the display.

A significant feature of Julie’s paintings is her unconventional framing technique.

“I am interested in finding ways to simultaneously highlight and cross the boundary between painting and object, this is an approach inspired by my interest in the ruptured boundaries of ceiling painting in the Baroque era where illusionary tromp l’oeil meets architecture and sculpture in what is described as a Bel Composto effect (beautiful composite).”

MAIN AND FOYER GALLERIES

Iconic Queensland

The touring exhibition of the 2017 Queensland Regional Artists Awards

17 January to 23 February 2019

The Iconic Queensland touring exhibition, showcasing artworks from 28 regional and remote Queensland artists, comes to Warwick Art Gallery from 17 January to 23 February 2019.

Curated by Henri Van Noordenburg, the exhibition challenges perceptions of what Queensland icons are, through the artists’ unique interpretation of their communities, characters and environments. From dribble-castles made of sand to the suburban sight of Nana watering her garden on a sun-drenched day, the artworks provide a unique snapshot of regional life through the eyes of its artists.

Works included in the exhibition span 17 diverse regions, speaking strongly of the state’s high calibre of artistic talent outside of Brisbane.

Flying Arts Alliance Executive Officer, Kerryanne Farrer, was blown away at the quality of the works selected for exhibition this year. Over 200 artworks were initially submitted for inclusion in the Iconic Queensland exhibition as part of the Queensland Regional Art Awards in 2017.

“Regional Queensland boasts a wealth of artistic talent that is proportionally under-represented in the State and National arts sector,” she said. “By presenting touring exhibitions like Iconic Queensland, Flying Arts is honoured to provide a platform that celebrates our regional artists, recognises their creative achievements and presents their work to new audiences across the state.”

Warwick Art Gallery Director Karina Devine is thrilled to host Iconic Queensland at the beginning of 2019.

“This exhibition is the perfect way to start a very inspiring program at Warwick Art Gallery in 2019”, said Ms Devine, “We have scheduled sixteen exhibitions during the year ranging from outstanding touring exhibitions to exceptional local artist exhibitions. Iconic Queensland is an exhibition that will really challenge our thinking about this beautiful state of ours.”

Experience Iconic Queensland at Warwick Art Gallery 17 January to 23 February 2019 open 10 am to 4 pm Tuesday to Saturday.

Flying Arts is a not-for-profit organisation inspiring the appreciation, practice and professional development of the visual and media arts as a lifetime interest or career throughout regional and remote Queensland, supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation, the University of Southern Queensland and corporate partners and benefactors.

Image: The Sandmen  Jo St Baker Bamboo Resin and Sand WINNER Flying Arts ‘Art for Life’ Award

MAIN AND FOYER GALLERIES

Balnhdhurr: A Lasting Impression

Presented by Artback NT in association with Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Arts

14 December 2018 to 12 January 2019

In a remote corner of Arnhem Land sits Yirrkala Print Space, where, for over twenty years, the ancient craft of printmaking has not only survived, but prospered. A celebratory exhibition of this print space, Balnhdhurr – A Lasting Impression is presented by Artback NT in association with Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Centre. Warwick Art Gallery is honoured to be included in this very special tour.

Balnhdhurr – A Lasting Impression is a vibrant acknowledgement of the creative energies, talent and commitment of generations of Yolngu artists who have utilised and pushed the boundaries of such a medium to share significant cultural and historical stories.

With works from 50 artists, this exhibition includes prints that are historically significant. The Berndt Etchings series talks about the Berndt Crayon Drawings of Yirrkala, produced by the artists’ predecessors in 1947, while String Figure Prints are a response to another archaeological collection from 1948.

Pieces in Balnhdhurr also reveal the significant impact the introduction of bright acrylics had on artists, which allowed them to explore a whole new genre of artistic storytelling that became a joyous explosion of colour and expression.

Balnhdhurr is a coming together of cultures and time, providing an opportunity for a wider audience to recognise the accomplishments of a sustainable, functional and thriving print studio operating in an isolated landscape. Yirrkala Print Space began in 1995 when a purpose built area was designed to host a printing press. With over 800 editions by 137 produced through the studio since then, Yirrkala Print Space has become an integral and vital component of the community.

Image: Nyapanyapa Yunupingu, Hunting Dhawu, 2001, screenprint 47 x 39cm

ORANGE WALL GALLERY

Bloom where you are Planted

Curated by Karina Devine

8 November to 21 December 2018

To “bloom where you are planted”, credited to Bishop of Geneva, Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622), is to recognise the potential of embracing life where you are instead of where you think you might be better off. It speaks to that elusive realisation that you have enough and that to achieve a sense of belonging you need to start by making a contribution yourself.

The works selected for the exhibition reflect the model of thriving in and contributing to community and more generally wholeheartedly embracing and living a creative life.

Jean de Courtenay Isherwood (1911 – 2006) left her bohemian Sydney lifestyle in 1974 to purchase property in Moombi and Tamworth. Her paintings are a celebration of natural beauty and extremes of the landscape. In 2004 Isherwood, aged 92, participated in an exhibition called Eighty and Over featuring seven other well-known Australian artists over the age of eighty. Her artwork Flowers in the Centre was included to celebrate this tenacity and artistic spirit.

John Rigby (1922 – 2012) beyond doubt bloomed where he was planted making major contributions to the cultural landscape of Brisbane in addition to creating an oeuvre rich in Queensland imagery and exceptional genre paintings. Rigby won many awards for his work which is held in major collections across the country. Morning Kitchen speaks volumes about the kitchen as the heart of the home and the “calm before the storm” experienced by many women at the break of dawn. The painting incorporates repetitive geometric shapes that are reminiscent of patchwork quilting enhanced by the warm pastel palette. This creates a peaceful picture of quiet domesticity.

Pene Edwards is a Brisbane based painter who continues to produce paintings today that have a very unique perspective of the land. The figurative elements in her compositions emerge from a dimensionless mélange resembling an aerial view of the landscape. The colours are celebratory and joyful applied in a way that suggests the artist’s love of mark making. Continental Memories is a fine example of Edwards’ style with the robust shapes reminiscent of the Australian Red Centre. The work’s title implies a journey and happy travel recollections.

The Ballet Roche (pictured), painted by Brisbane based and Warwick born artist Trisha Lambi, won the Warwick Acquisitive Art Prize in 2009. Lambi is an award winning artist with her studio located in Brisbane. Her work observes people and locations with the two combining to create, in her words, “a journey, sometimes unwelcome and heartbreaking, sometimes joyous, but always illuminating”. The Ballet Roche is a particularly personal work featuring the artist herself alongside members of her family.

To the Water is a recent work by Warwick artist Jane Donaldson. Jane is a full time artist with her creative business thriving from her beautiful home south west of Warwick. It is Jane’s poetic imagery, profoundly influenced by home and family, that made her an essential addition to this themed exhibition. As a regional artist Jane is incredibly brave and humble about her success. Her artwork creates a peaceful retreat from the clutter of life.

MAIN GALLERY

Warakurna: All the Stories Got into our Minds and Eyes

A travelling exhibition developed and presented by the National Museum of Australia.

24 August to 6 October 2018

Warakurna: All the Stories Got into our Minds and Eyes, is a collection of paintings which was produced at Warakurna, a community at the foot of the Rawlinson Ranges in Western Australia, 300 kilometres west of Uluru (Ayers Rock). The works are the product of Warakurna Artists, a thriving art centre in the heart of the Ngaanyatjarra Lands.

The paintings in the Warakurna exhibition are more figurative in style than traditional Western Desert art. The artists from Warakurna use their painting to document their history – the coming of explorers, prospectors and missionaries, building roads, missile testing and their return to their homeland.

“These paintings provide first-hand accounts of significant events which shaped the lives of an Aboriginal community and help all Australians understand their complex history,” said Dr Mathew Trinca, the director of the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.

The Warakurna exhibition was launched at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra, in December, 2012 and is now touring the country.

Western Desert people were among the last groups of Aboriginal people in Australia to have contact with Europeans. Warakurna lay in the middle of the flight path of missiles launched from Woomera in the South Australian desert in the 1960s.

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

Image: Helicopter Ride with Brooksy to See My Father’s Ngurra (Country) 2011 by Ken Shepherd acrylic on canvas

Acknowledgement: © Ken Shepherd courtesy of Warakurna artists

WARNING: Visitors should be aware that this website includes images and names of deceased people that may cause sadness or distress to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

TOURING

A travelling exhibition of work by Loani Prior and Mark Crocker 

Warwick Art Gallery was the producing gallery for the exhibition Portraits of a Tea Cosy. 

Work on this exhibition started in 2012 when Queen of Tea Cosies Loani Prior and photographer Mark Crocker travelled to six towns in three states meeting tea cosy guardians and recording their stories.    From these meetings Mark has produced 40 black and white portraits of the interviewees with their tea cosies in colour.  Their stories have been turned into an audio presentation and delightful quotes about family, friendship and the joy of owning something handcrafted. 

This exhibition also stars 20 exuberant TEA COSIES created by Loani Prior, author of three best selling books, Wild Tea Cosies, Really Wild Tea Cosies and How Tea Cosies Change the World.  They are knitted objets d’art, woolly sculptures; clever and funny, like nothing you will have seen before. 

The exhibition was displayed first in Warwick during Jumpers and Jazz in July 2013.  The tour includes the following locations: Mittagong, Northern Territory, Hervey Bay, Miles, Longreach, Bundaberg, Ballina and Canberra. The tour was completed in 2015.  Mark Crocker's prtraits are now part of the Warwick Art Gallery collection.

This project is supported by the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian state and territory governments and by Arts Queensland in the Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts.

This project has also been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

Warwick Art Gallery, from time to time, organises one off events, residencies or community project outside of our scheduled exhibition program.  

Casting Off 

Alison McDonald residency

July 2016 

Casting Off was commissioned by Warwick Art Gallery for Jumpers & Jazz in July 2016.

Warwick Art Gallery approached Alison to design a semi permanent artwork that reflected the Jumpers and Jazz in July festival vision and branding. The artwork needed to communicated the festival’s priority to provide visual art that is surprising and creative. Key inspirational themes included Humour, Wrapping, Disguising, Softening, Pattern, Texture, Repetition and Colour.

"The typical crocheted ‘granny square’ rug made from left over bits of wool is something we are all comfortable and cosy with, just like our relationship with plastic, particularly single- use plastics. The colourful Casting Off may appear cosy or even fluffy from a distance, but when you get close it is prickly, symbolising the continuing conundrum we all share about what to do with plastics at the end of their life. This artwork highlights the massive amounts of plastics that clog our waterways and draw our attention to the stewardship and responsibility we owe our sea creatures."  Alison McDonald

Warwick Art Gallery received financial assistance from the Queensland Government through the Visual Arts and Crafts Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, state and territory governments.

The project also received support from Bunnings Warehouse Warwick and Celtis Grove Bed and Breakfast Warwick.