A Kings Court

On Brunswick St. in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley lies an artist run initiative called Jugglers. This gallery/artist's space is host to numerous events including this year's inaugural, BARI (Brisbane Artist Run Initiative) festival, the Marie Ellis OAM Prize for Drawing and frequent exhibitions. Amongst their primary goals is the validation of street and spray can art. To assist in this goal the entire alleyway running down the side of the gallery and the lot out the back have been converted into sort of street art gallery, the walls being almost entirely covered in graffiti and spray painted murals up to two storeys tall. Inside, Jugglers has a large main gallery floor, and a smaller gallery space upstairs alongside several studio spaces.

During my visit the upstairs gallery was in the course of being rearranged, but I thankfully had the opportunity to view several works that were on display at the top of the staircase, previous Marie Ellis prize winners. In particular Glen Grienke's piece, the first prize winner's piece was awe inspiring. Featuring two figures drawn in a mesh like fashion, their forms unraveling at multiple points throughout the form, giving a fragility to the large in stature drawing.









As I entered into the main gallery  I was greeted immediately by several works in charcoal that dominated the inside wall by John Briggs, this piece seemed a prime example for his works, the girl hiding behind the vase creates such mystery that it was hard to go past this work without granting it further consideration. John were several other artists who, while good, paled next to these works and the works of Cybel Borel de Bitche, whos paintings had an ephemeral musical quality.

I can't tell you how many times I've walked past Jugglers in my 'to-and-froing' through Brisbane's Fortitude Valley without actually going in, and now I really wish I had done so sooner.



For more information check out http://www.jugglers.org.au/exhibitions/

Swich'n It Up

If you weren’t looking for it, you’d almost definitely miss it. Nestled cosily in the heart of Ipswich lies a hidden treasure in the form of The Swich Contemporary Art Space a small commercial gallery run by LeAnne Vincent and Gilbert Burgh, the duo are both heavily involved in the Ipswich art community,  and are both members of the Ipswich Art Awards committee, amongst numerous other arts organisations . Currently showing at The Swich is ‘Drawing Fetish’, a series of works by former Queensland College of Art graduate, Sharon McKenzie. Sharon is an Ipswich based artist and current artist-in-residence at the Old Courthouse Gallery, she has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in Ipswich, Brisbane and Melbourne. Upon entering The Swich I was greeted by Sharon’s detailed ink on paper drawings lining the walls. Upon my initial inspection of several of these drawings I had thought them to be very intricate and abstract mosaics using fine line patterns to create forms but after a second I realised that they depict several inanimate objects and figures, constructed from doylies. Sharon calls this transformation of forms ‘doylisation’. 

I had the fortune of talking to Sharon, briefly, during my visit and she informed me that she was using the doylie as a metaphor for the past, especially in regard to women, their rights, and their expectations in society. I found the ‘doylised’ figures quite enthralling especially in one that depicted the ‘doylised’ figure unravelling, revealing internal organs also in doylie form. Amongst the others in the collection one depicts a computer (older in design illustrated by the CRT monitor depicted), the next a clock and the next an array of old five and a quarter inch floppy discs. To me these three in particular struck a certain chord, they invoked a certain nostalgia in me reminding me of both the doylies resting atop tables but also the technology that was of frequent use in my childhood. I feel that The Swich is an ideal gallery for these works to stand on their own, the smaller space aiding in the introspection already invoked by the works.

 

Anyone in Ipswich would definitely benefit from a visit to this unique cloister sandwiched between buildings on Brisbane St.

Interested? Check out http://www.theswichcontemporaryartspace.com.au/  for more information.

Spanish Masters Visit South East Queensland

Showing at Queensland Art Gallery (QAG) at the moment is the ‘Portrait of Spain: Masterpieces from the Prado’ exhibit. With over 100 works on loan from the Museo Nacional del Prado, this is the first time that these works have been on exhibit in the southern hemisphere, granting an excellent opportunity for visitors to view works illustrating the history and development of painting in Spain for over three centuries, works by such artists as Francisco de Goya, Peter Paul Rubens, Federico de Madrazo, and Antonio de Pereda. The exhibit was accompanied by a soft, Spanish-inspired, musical overlay, which may seem a bit cheesy when mentioned but actually faded calmly into the background, complementing the exhibit.  

Upon entering the exhibit I was immediately awed by the immensity of the history contained within and the technical finesse and expertise displayed in the works. Quite often, the pieces dwarf the viewer, especially in the case of Relief of Genoa by the Marquis of Santa Cruz by Antonio de Pereda, standing almost three meters tall and over three and a half meters wide. This, in particular, was a stunning piece to observe, not only with its representation of such a significant event in Spanish history, but also for the amount of detail present in the artwork, not uncommon with the majority of the works, with even the fine detail of the lace being worn by the central figures being exquisitely rendered. 

Progressing through the exhibit, I noticed the particular organisation of the works; separated into different rooms, mostly by subject matter, and found it easy to get either submersed or alienated by the different subjects, there was only so much religious iconography and narrative that I could absorb before becoming slightly disinterested, despite the beauty of the works. I was particularly absorbed however by the display of a collection of prints by de Goya, presented in a darker setting than the rest of the exhibit, reflecting the nature and mood of the, sometimes grotesque or disturbing, imagery of the prints.

Portrait of Spain: Masterpieces from the Prado is running until November 4th so get in while you have a chance since, as a whole, this exhibit offers a unique insight into the culture of the Spanish people throughout the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth century, but resonated particularly with me in respect to the skill and expertise present in all the works present. I believe this is an excellent example of an exhibit even those of the “I don’t know art but I know what I like.” persuasion can appreciate.

 

For information on this and other exhibits at QAG visit http://qagoma.qld.gov.au/exhibitions/current

Images:

• Queensland Art Gallery
• Antonio de Pereda: 'The relief of Genoa by the second Marquis of Santa Cruz', 1634-35
• Vecellio di Gregorio Tiziano (Titian): 'Christ carrying the Cross' c.1565

Masterpieces from the Prado at the Queensland Art Gallery, n.d., image, viewed 8 October 2012, <http://bagnidilucca.wordpress.com/2012/07/23/masterpieces-from-the-prado-at-the-queensland-art-gallery/> 

University of the Sunshine Coast Gallery Light & Soul Exhibition

Park Nam - Hee Light and Soul 2011

As I first walked into the University of the Sunshine Coast Gallery I immediately was greeted by a lovely lady who was a volunteer there. She gave me a tour through the gallery and briefly talked about each of the artworks. It was delightful to get such attention and information by a gallery staff member. One art piece that interested me in the Exhibition was actually responsible for the name of the Exhibition which was called Light & Soul. This art piece stood out as it was the largest piece of artwork in the Exhibition.It was situated in the center of the room to allow the viewers eyes to be immediately drawn to it when they walked through the entrance.Light & Soul was created by artist Dr Park Nam-Hee in 2011. Park Nam –Hee is a Korean artist who works with digital imaging. Nam-Hee juxtaposes and superimposes traditional art forms to create rich, fantastical worlds that express a modern exquisiteness and sensibility .With an  incorporation of the most vivid colours in her works which are designed onto silk fabrics, Nam-Hee uses ancient Korean symbols and transforms them into traditional aesthetic concepts. I really enjoyed this art piece as it was displayed in a way I have never seen before, almost like a sculptural piece as well as a print.

Kicki Hankell Past & Present 1  2012

As I was walking around the Gallery I initially thought all the works were by Dr Park Nam-Hee, however I realized after further observation that there was in fact two artists in this exhibition. The other artist was by the name of Kicki Hankell. Hankell is from Sweden and like Dr Park Nam-Hee her work was vividly coloured and eye catching. Hankell's work explores themes  such as  family love, femininity and  life .The series of her works are also created with digital imaging on fabric but she also has incorporated amazing water colour painting. As you can see in her image called Past & Present 1, Hankell has used water colour which, in my opinion displays a beautiful balance of blue and yellow colours as well as brush strokes. This style of work is a prominent display in the gallery.The  majority of the pieces are digitally created or designed and I think it gives a good balance and diversity within the exhibition. Although there are similarities with the two artists I was told by the curator that it was on purpose that both the artists work was chosen to be displayed at the same time. Both the artists works complement each other by the way of style, colour and size. I think having two artists with such similarities could be seen in a negative light. I found that because the work was similar that i was hoping for something much different to look at as well.Also without taking the time to look at each art piece , i would not have known who the artist was because of the similarity .

The University of the Sunshine Coast often builds Exhibitions around their design students studies. The student's often travel overseas and make connection to the places they travel. The Light & Soul exhibition is the perfect example of this. Students and gallery viewers alike  gain such inspiration  by visually experiencing such a fantastic array of artwork. I would recommend everyone to visit this exhibition as I found it mindfully cultural as well as exhibiting a high standard of quality artwork.  

Details:

Univiersity of the Sunshine coast

Maroochydore , Dc QLD 4558

TEL: + 61754594645

FAX: +61754594403

  For more information about USC gallery and to find out about up coming exhibitions visit the website link.

www.usc.edu.au/gallery