True Colours

Presenting for the first time more hybrid creatures in living colour. Like Swarm*, the fairy tale that spawned them, the Winged Women are in part a fanciful reflection on insect taxonomy and the skilled, but largely overlooked work of Australian female colonial naturalists and artists, including Mary Morton Allport, Annabella Boswell, Georgiana McCrae and two of my favourites, South Australian sisters Martha Berkeley and Theresa Walker.

It was my original intention to hand colour the series in the manner of natural history illustrations. But at the time of proofing I felt the images worked equally well in their virginal state; I wondered if the addition of colour might appear superfluous.  At their debut in the exhibition Natural Histories at Chrysalis Gallery last October, the black and white Winged Women provided a necessary counterbalance to the numerous coloured pastel drawings and paintings that made up the rest of the show. Within the entirely different context of Re-evolution, it’s time for them to show their true colours.

 *From There was once…The collected fairy tales (2009).

Blue Triangle Winged Woman, 2011, hand coloured, linocut,

34 x 34 cm, ed. 15. Photograph by Tim Gresham

Clearwing Butterfly Woman, 2011,  hand coloured linocut, 34 x 34 cm,

ed. 15. Photograph by Tim Gresham

Monarch Butterfly Winged Woman, 2011, hand coloured linocut,

34 x 34 cm, ed. 15. Photograph by Tim Gresham

Great Eggfly Winged Woman, 2011, hand coloured linocut, 34 x 34 cm,

ed. 15. Photograph by Tim Gresham

Re-evolution preview

On 4 September my solo exhibition Re-evolution opens at Woodbine Art Gallery in Malmsbury. It  has given me the opportunity to gather together a selection of work from the past couple of years, including The Moth Masks, The Enchanted Hair Ornaments and the Winged Women series. This will be the first time it has been shown collectively, albeit in an edited form. 

Recently I began preparing special hand coloured editions of eight of the Winged Women prints especially for Re-evolution. During the process I became more than ever drawn to watercolour, and given the direction in which the work is currently heading, anticipate using it as a medium in its own right in the future.

As previously mentioned, Re-evolution is another of the Month of Print events connected to the IMPACT 7 print symposium. Full details of the exhibition will be posted shortly. Meanwhile, here is a preview of two of the works:

Moth Butterfly Winged Woman, 2011, hand coloured linocut,
34 x 34 cm, ed. 15. Photograph by Tim Gresham

Ulysses Butterfly Winged Woman, 2011, hand coloured linocut,
34 x 34 cm, ed. 15. Photograph by Tim Gresham

Opening night at the Art Vault

As promised, here are some snapshots of the launch of Winged Women. It was great to see some familiar faces and chat with a number of people, many of whom I first met during my previous residency.

A highlight of the evening was Donata Carrazza’s opening address. (I am sure that fellow exhibiting artist Brenda Runnegar would agree with me). We both felt that Donata truly got to the essence of our work, and were doubly grateful that she agreed to share her responses and insights with the opening night audience. Donata has kindly given me permission to reproduce her introduction to Winged Women. Here it is in part:

In taking time to think about the works here I was yet again convinced about how lucky we are in this regional town to have the Art Vault. Its visionary founders Julie and Kevin have created a space for us to dream, to get lost in the images and narratives of artists dealing with those endless questions about why we are here, and what it all means to be human. The end results of hours of research, observation, thinking and doing by artists from a range of visual disciplines can delight or confront us, but rarely leave us indifferent.  Equally important is that artists in residence have the sorely needed time to further develop their work, or even engage with this place, and present it to us so that it is new again or so that it reveals secrets we may have overlooked.

I’m really thrilled to be opening Deborah and Brenda’s shows, two women I admire greatly, and want to thank you Julie for the opportunity.

…… Deborah Klein, like Brenda, has a Master of Arts from Monash University.  She’s been a practicing artist for over 20 years with an impressive CV and output that reflects her professionalism and great passion for what she does.  Women are often the central subjects of her work, ornately decorated with tattoos, lace, moth or buttlerfly masks, with twisted, combed, and knotted tresses.

It was a great pleasure in 2009 to open Deborah’s show here at the Art Vault, Introduced Species and to launch her book: There was once – the collected fairy tales. These 13 stories accompanied by images are essential reading for those of us who love the subversive and seek new ways for the traditional archetypes to be turned on their head.

A particular favourite of mine is the re-telling of the Rapunzel fairytale.  In Deborah’s version, Rapunzel has been locked in a tower by her father who has left her provisions but won’t be coming back to get her.  Many years pass  and she ponders about what she will do when she is free of this tower.  A charming prince turns up one day, having heard of her beauty and her long gorgeous locks.  He uses her long braid to climb into the tower.  They really connect, talking late into the night.  He about his great adventures, the battles he’s won and the women he’s wooed and the kindgoms he’s conquered.  She begs him to take her with him, stating she’ll need to cut her hair as it will get in the way.  He says she couldn’t possibly cut her hair; it’s what makes her so alluring. Eventually they fall asleep. The next day he wakes up and finds that Rapunzel has disappeared.  All that is left is her long tail of plaited hair tied to a table and hanging outside the window. He sees her on the ground below about to ride off on his trusty steed, but not before she’s tugged the tail of hair and watched it drop to her feet.  He also notices she’s got short hair, like a lowly page boy. She must have used his sword in the night to cut her locks. He screams to her:  “How will I get down?”  To which she replies: “Grow your own hair”.

Back in 2009, Deborah was working on the lino cuts of winged women that you see here tonight.  It’s really fitting we see them here, hung as Deborah envisioned.  These hybrid creatures are delicate, feminine, alluring and mysterious.  The images invite us to be voyeurs, lingering on the gently turned necks, wondering about their faces, their eyes and what they could be thinking and how long it will be before they fly away.

The oil pastel drawings and acrylics on canvas turn her subjects towards us, but they are still impenetrable, elusive.  These captivating creatures, like the characters in Deborah’s stories, are using their masks for self-protection, but there is a knowing look in their eyes, perhaps an acceptance that self-transformation while painful, is essential to live freely, and is the responsibility of each individual soul.

With that said, I’d like to congratulate Brenda and Deborah and declare their shows officially opened.


Pictured above:
Top image: (on left hand side) Donata Carrazza, Julie Chambers
Centre image: Donata Carrazza
Base: (from left) Kate Kotching, Deborah Klein (photograph
by Filomena Coppola)

Winged Women reunited at the Art Vault

Shane and I arrived at the Art Vault on Monday afternoon, the first day of my residency. Robert, Andrew, Trace and Julie gave us a great welcome - it felt very much like coming home.

My first priority was to place the work in the gallery prior to installation. Although I was prepared to pull some work out if necessary, it all fitted the space perfectly. Each piece found its place quickly; in fact it was the easiest hang I've ever experienced.

I 'm particularly thrilled with the wall of Winged Women linocuts. It was always my intention for them to be together, much like a swarm. But this is the first time a gallery space has allowed for it. Shane has a great eye for hanging artwork. He spent ages rearranging the linocuts once we’d grouped them in two rows of nine, and I gratefully give credit for the final configuration to him.

The following day Andrew, with his customary forbearance, spent long hours hanging the Winged Women. Robert and Trace also took extraordinary care to see that everything was just right for the opening the following night.

In the next couple of weeks I’ll post some shots of the launch. In the meantime, these installation views will hopefully give some idea of the look of the show.

Images above: Moth Masks and Winged Women. Click on images to enlarge.

Green-Spotted Triangle Winged Woman lands at Montsalvat

Green-Spotted Triangle Winged Woman, formerly a vital part of the eighteen-strong Winged Women sister act (See Blog Post February 17) has gone solo. She has been selected as a finalist in the inaugural Rick Amor Print Prize, to be held at the Barn Gallery, Montsalvat.

The exhibition will be launched at 6 – 8 pm on Friday 8 April and runs until Sunday 22 May.

The Rick Amor Print Prize aside, Monsalvat's magnificent buildings and grounds are also worth a visit. Founded in the mid 1930s by Justus Jorgensen, it is Australia's oldest artist's colony. First time visitors can find directions on Melway Map 22 A8. For those without wheels, Montsalvat can be reached by bus 582 from Eltham Station. Further information can be found on their website HERE.

Montsalvat

7 Hillcrest Avenue

Eltham

Victoria 3095

Phone: 03 9439 7712

Montsalvat opening hours:  Monday – Sunday 9am – 5 pm

Pictured above:

Green-Spotted Triangle Winged Woman, 2010

Linocut

32 x 32 cm
Photograph by Tim Gresham

The Art Vault Exhibition at Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery

Winged Women, 2010, linocuts, individual works 30 x 30 cm

Collection: The Art Vault. Photograph by Tim Gresham

Ian Tully, Director of Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery, has curated an exhibition focusing on  artists who have worked at The Art Vault. Included in the exhibition are the Winged Women linocuts, the blocks of which I worked on during my first residency at The Art Vault in July 2009. Other artists in the show include ex de Medici, Rosalind Atkins, Mike Parr, John Cattapan, Martin King, Shane Jones and John Young.

It's good news that Swan Hill Gallery has re-opened its doors. Recently it was forced to close temporarily due to concerns about rising floodwater from Little Murray River.

The exhibition opened on 12 February and concludes on 27 March.

The Art Vault Exhibition

SWAN HILL REGIONAL ART GALLERY 


Horseshoe Bend

Swan Hill 

Victoria 3585 Australia 


Telephone: 03 5036 2430

Facsimile: 03 5036 2465


artgal@swanhill.vic.gov.au

Gallery hours: Tues - Fri 10 am  - 5 pm; Sat - Sun 11 am - 5 pm

Sketchbook stuff

Myth-entomology: some fresh ideas and new directions...

Orchard Swallowtail Winged Woman

Cicada Winged Woman

Shield-backed Katydid Winged Woman

Spider Hunting Wasp Woman

Red-bodied Swallowtail Winged Woman

Magpie Moth Winged Woman

Hover fly Winged Woman

All works pencil in A4 sized sketch book (21.0 × 29.7 cm)

Premature Primavera

Purple Azure Winged Woman emerged on the very last day of winter - a harbinger of springtime and some warmer weather (at least let us hope so.)

Image above:
Purple Azure Winged Woman, 2010, acrylic on linen, 36 x 36 cm
Photograph by Tim Gresham

Newly Hatched

Although butterflies typically hatch in spring, this example of recently discovered hybrid subspecies Macleay's Swallowtail Winged Woman has just emerged from her chrysalis cocoon, boldly defying the current Melbourne cold spell.

Image above:

Macleay's Swallowtail Winged Woman, 2010, acrylic on linen, 36 x 36 cm

Taking Flight

This week I began editioning the 18 lino blocks for the forthcoming installation and artist book Swarm. It has been a long process - the project had its genesis at the Art Vault in Mildura where I undertook a month-long residency just under a year ago. The printing is going remarkably well, although with such a large project, I am feeling the need for drying racks more than ever before. The finished works will form part of the solo exhibition Natural Selection at Chrysalis Gallery in October, and will also be exhibited at the Art Vault in June, 2011.

New Work - Monarch Butterfly Winged Woman

The Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae), in the family Nymphalidae. Although it originated in the US, it has been found in New Zealand, and in Australia since 1871, where it is called the Wanderer. In Europe it is resident in the Canary Islands, the Azores, and Madeira, and is found as an occasional migrant in Western Europe. Its wings feature an easily recognizable orange and black pattern, with a wingspan of 8.9–10.2 centimetres (3½–4 in). (The Viceroy butterfly has a similar size, color, and pattern, but can be distinguished by an extra black stripe across the hind wing.) Female Monarchs have darker veins on their wings, and the males have a spot called the "androconium" in the center of each hind wing from which pheromones are released. Males are also slightly larger.

The Monarch is famous for its southward migration and northward return in summer in the Americas which spans the life of three to four generations of the butterfly.

Image above: Monarch Butterfly Winged Woman 2010, acrylic on linen, 36 x 36 cm.
The artist's studio, March, 2010.