Landsborough Galleries



Outside of the gallery 2012

  The Landsborough gallery is “a new, purpose-built fine art gallery situated in historic Landsborough on the Sunshine Coast. Sited as the first gallery on the Sunshine Coast Art Trail, there’s no question about the variety, range and popularity of some of the artists whose works are held on the premises” (Landsborough Galleries, n.d). Just a few of the artists currently featured are Ando, Donald J. Waters, Greg Postle, and Giovanna Cattoi as the artist in residence.

Roadside advertisment 2012

What I love about this local gallery is that because it’s located in an almost rural environment, it doesn’t seem to fall victim to the artistic pressures most metropolitan galleries fall to. It’s small, featuring one room divided into three sections with an additional room dedicated to prints in the back. The walls are anything but white as they glow rich orange and black, allowing the artwork hung on the walls to pick up the colors and reflect them. This makes for a well-blended presentation on a wall consisting of different styles of art, in this case painting; however, I did notice that there were many canvases haphazardly leaning against several walls and sculptures were occasionally abandoned in corners, suggesting that although it’s great that they’re a local gallery providing commercial art to the community, they could step up their professionalism with their presentation.

Inside the gallery 2012

The works for sale are primarily paintings, reproduced prints, and sculptures. Prices range from several hundred to over $28,000. What I noticed was that many of the works were centered around the idea of water and its connotations. Being that Australia is an island continent, I understand the recurring motif, in that water is Australia’s lifeblood. It’s a source for hydration, shipping transport for incoming and outgoing resources and an external environment that many other countries might not have land access to. Presenting many artworks with the similar basis for themes gives the gallery a pleasant flow for the viewer without too much repetition.

Donald J. Waters, Sea Sirens 2012

 The majority of the artworks are completely original or at least of a limited edition (i.e. the prints). They are however easily recognized to be ‘commercial art.’ This means that while they are quite visually appealing, they don’t convey an excessive amount of conceptual depth. In even simpler terms, they’re the sort of art an every-day-average-Joe would buy to decorate their kitchen or bathroom. This isn’t a negative comment, fore there may be people out there looking for the simple beauty of a painting, such as Ando’s The Secret, an oil painting of a bottle of 1959 Penfolds’ Grange Hermitage. The title is referring to the fact that Max Schubert, the wine’s maker, had to make the wine in secret in the beginning before it became one of the world’s most iconic wines. Ando also endowed his own secret meaning in the tribute to the 1959 vintage. Perhaps whoever buys the piece will find a personal value of their own in the painting.



Ando, The Secret 2012

 There wasn’t a specific exhibition on display at the gallery, rather, they showcase the works of their commissioned artists. One appeasing aspect to the gallery is that its resident artist, Giovanna Cattoi, is available for a call-in chat during the gallery’s open hours.

I enjoyed visiting the gallery as I am not a true-born Australian. The visit allowed me to see what sort of art SELLS in Australia, meaning what appeals to the average Australian’s visual palette. My delight in the gallery can only be multiplied to the local citizens as they themselves are more able to connect to the content in the artwork. The Landsborough galleries are an excellent choice for art seekers looking for local art without an exceptionally long trip to Brisbane.



Giovanna Cattoi, Head Study 2012



Unless noted, I took all of the pictures in this blog.

To check out the galleries online, click the link below!

http://www.landsboroughgalleries.com.au/default.asp

Landsborough Galleries, n.d., viewed 28 September 2012,

            <http://www.landsboroughgalleries.com.au/default.asp>



Caboolture Regional Art Gallery – Creative Generation 2011



Outside of the gallery 2012



So I recently went to go check out the Caboolture Regional Art Gallery, located in the Caboolture Hub in the heart of the city. The current MAIN exhibition on display is that of the Creative Generation Excellence Awards in Art and Design 2012-2013 touring exhibition. Just to clarify, these award recipients are from 2011, the tour runs 2012-2013, and it’s available at the HUB from September 8^th – October 27^th. The show features the works of 33 different Queensland students, ages 12-18, which were selected to participate in a five day workshop with professional artists in Brisbane, QLD. These 33 students were chosen from 467 participants and have already exhibited in such galleries as GOMA (Grantham n.d.).

After having been given a brief description of the show by a family member, I was a tad bit weary. I wasn’t sure if I’d be seeing reasonably accomplished artwork or a child’s finger paintings. My doubts were completely cleared away after having visited the exhibit. Not only was there a vast amount of different mediums used – such as video, paint, clay, mud, wood, pencil, turf, etc. – but each and every artist’s work was highly professional in its presentation.

Many of the artists created pieces of art that were influenced by their personal lives and the woes of growing through their teens. Having recently graduated from teenager-hood myself, I felt that I could personally connect and understand many of the concepts behind their work. One artist that stood out for me was Tom Morrey, who based his work Laughter and Shadows on childhood fears. Thus, he portrayed his own fears by becoming them – a clown – and photographed himself. Another artist was Erin Green, whose concept revolved around memories, senses and locations. She drew three (very well drawn) portraits of herself, and then glued bits of maps and photos around and on the portraits. There were others still who chose to expand their concepts out into the greater ideas of the world. Nikki Robbin’s Fishbowl is a video meant to symbolize humanity’s fear of change, growing old, and death. She represented this notion by filling a fishbowl with water, adding a fish, and recording the process of the bowl slowly leaking water. Fish = humanity, water = life. Simple but profound.

The curatorial assemblage of the exhibition is one that flows well without putting too many ‘like’ artworks together. There are generally are no paintings, photographs, etc. put side by side. This gives the viewer a chance to see a new medium every few feet, allowing the viewer to judge the individual artwork itself and not how it compares to the piece next to it.




Kristyn Tremble, Speak Up 2011

  After having spent considerable time in the gallery, I couldn’t help but notice that none of the ages of the student artists were listed. Each and every work in the space had a deep impact in its own way and I found it astounding that some of these works could have been done by twelve year olds! The overall effect of the exhibition left me feeling encouraged that the future art of Queensland is in the safe and capable hands of our up-and-coming youth.

Unless noted, I took all of the pictures in this blog.



To check out the exhibition online, click on the link below! :)

http://education.qld.gov.au/community/events/creativegeneration/artawards/visualart/docs/2012-13-touring-exhibition-catalogue.pdf

Caboolture Regional Art Gallery

4 Hasking Street
Caboolture QLD 4510

07 5433 3710

Mon to Fri 9am–4pm, Sat 9am–3pm

Caboolture Regional Art Gallery, n.d., image, viewed 24 September 2012,

<http://www.artguide.com.au/exhibition/2012-creative-generation-excellence-awards-in-visual-art-and-design/>

Grantham, J n.d., Creative Generation Excellence Awards in Art and Design 2012-2013 Touring Exhibition, viewed 24 September 2012,

<http://education.qld.gov.au/community/events/creativegeneration/artawards/visualart/docs/2012-13-touring-exhibition-catalogue.pdf >