Alison Frith: Topography - study of surface

Luscious, creamy volanic froth, invoking natural and lunar landscapes. 

Topography: A study of surface' 

Tuesday 21st of February

 Sofitel On Collins, Melbourne

 

Gerry Wedd: Kitschen Man – Jam Factory Icon

An huge overview of Gerry's cultural concerns. 

Delighted, challenged and always moved by Gerry's Australian Gothic series. Sculptural figurines are talking points that are tough, moral and universal such as vignette's from Wake in Fright, the Abu Ghraib torture victim and the melancholy of willow pattern decoration & landscape.

Round of applause for a true alt-country and independent music fan and all the images and text devoted to Gerry's favourite musicians. Urns also include representations of surfing fanaticism, and political passions.

Kitschen Man shows us that Gerry is an artist who feels and thinks deeply.  He continues to push his craft into fresh realms. Grayson Perry describes the job of an artist is to 'notice things'. Gerry notices, distills and presents us with a world that is both wonderful and horrible using the clay surface as a dark mirror.

Wednesday 8 February – Saturday 18 March 2017

Manningham Art Gallery
687 Doncaster Rd, Doncaster, Victoria
 

Heads

Voyager Pot, 2016 coil built, cobalt decorated earthenware

Gram Pot, 2016 hand built, slip decorated earthenware

Australian Gothic tableau & 'personal' works from Wedd's kitchen on the back wall including peer potters & family.

The Sculpture of Bronwyn Oliver (1959-2006)

An astounding retrospective of a major artist's work. I knew of some of Bronwyn Oliver's work in particular the work 'Iris' which was (and happily still is) part of the State Craft Collection and pictured below.  This exhibition also presents early pre-copperwire cane, paper and fibre glass sculptures.  Wonderfully curated by Julie Ewington, this is the first comprehensive survey of 50 key works, from the mid-1980s to the final solo exhibition in 2006.  Thanks to TarraWarra for the breadth of work. I treasured the opportunity to concentrate on the many different repetitive patterns and textures created by Oliver with wire. 

TarraWarra Museum of Art

311 Healesville-Yarra Glen Road Healesville, Victoria

Umbra, 2003, copper, 110 x 110 x 20 cm © Estate of Bronwyn Oliver, courtesy Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney.

detail Umbra

detail Umbra

Lock,  2002 copper

detail Lock

Iris, 1989, copper, Victorian State Craft Collection, Hamilton Gallery

work from the early 1980s using cane, paper & fibreglass

Cane infrastructure used before cooper wire

 

Find following a series of detailed images highlighting the vast, complex and intricate range of textures, patterns and joining techniques from wire.

Work from the early 1980s.