THREE GREAT SUMMER SHOWS AT LAKE MACQUARIE CITY ART GALLERY
Art out of water : the fish of art
Living in a nation surrounded by water, it’s little wonder many Australian artists look to the ocean and its inhabitants for inspiration.
For this exhibition the lakeside gallery does likewise, presenting a diverse range of paintings, photographs and sculpture relating to fish and fishing. Hunter-based artist, Susan Ryman, for instance, has created 40 panels, each with its own uniquely fishy story. And a video installation documenting Craig Walsh’s giant traffic-stopping urban ‘fishbowl’ in the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam, is sure to astound.
Alongside the references to leisure and lifestyle, there is also a strong group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander works reflecting the importance of fishing as an activity and ceremonial practice. One of these, Dennis Nona’s etching Sarup Au Zig – Lost Man (2006), will be the focus of a Lake Macquarie Art Gallery Society fundraising drive to acquire the work for the collection.
The exhibition includes works by Doug Archibald, Narelle Autio, John Davis, Craig Koomeeta, Margaret Preston and Anne Zahalka among others, and will tour to Lismore Regional Gallery in 2010. A gallery project curated by Brett Adlington & Meryl Ryan
Glendon School : fish and the ocean
Glendon School caters to the needs of local primary students with a moderate or severe intellectual disability. The school maintains the importance of a quality art education program with a specialist teacher employed to develop the students’ creative skills.
For this exhibition, featuring over 60 works, each student was given an identically sized artist’s canvas to work on over seven months. The result is a fascinating mix of styles and approaches to the central theme of fish and the ocean.
head space : Michael Bell & Sean Nicholson
The collaborative partnership of painter Michael Bell and ceramicist Sean Nicholson celebrates the local environment and its cultural habits, with dog-walkers, coal ships and swimmers appearing on fantastic bowls, vases and platters as well as in a group of Newcastle Harbour paintings by Bell. A gallery project curated by Meryl Ryan
OPENING EVENT: Sunday 29 November 2009
- Family fun, sausage sizzle, face painting & art activities from 12.30pm
- Public forum featuring special guests from Glendon School and artist, Susan Ryman from 2pm
- Performance by Kare Yarn Torres Strait Islander Dance Group
- Refreshments and nibbles
Dates: 27 November 2009 – 31 January 2010
Hours: 10am – 5pm Tues – Sun (selected public holidays 11am – 4pm)
Admission: FREE
