The Hannah Cabinet @ The Bungendore Woodworks Gallery

 

 

Occasionally we go out to the Bungendore Woodworks Gallery to see their art exhibitions and drool over the extraordinary products out of wood that they sell. It is always a treat. This visit we saw something that was truly designed to take your breath away. I have included the link in which they have a moving version in which the cupboards and drawers open and close.

The object on display is what is called the Hannah Cabinet.  It is a piece of furniture that was created by Geoff Hannah after a Churchill Fellowship exploration of Europe with a focus on traditional historical furniture design and creation.

Have a look at the link and if you can get to the gallery. This object will still have people admiring it if it is still around in 500 years.

http://www.bungendorewoodworks.com.au/exhibitions/hannah-cabinet

A youtube clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yik1FJ58NdY

 

Trya Award and Exhibition 2014 @ Tuggerenong Arts Centre.

There is an exhibition in the enclosed room at the Tuggerenong Arts Centre of past winners of the Tuggerenong Rotary Youth Art prize. It is put on in anticipation of the 2014 award which is open to artists under 25 right now. The award is open at present. Apply at the Centre.

There are several deeply moving creations on the walls from past winners. I have included several examples below.with a flyer also.

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The Poetic Lens @ M16 Artspace

This recent exhibition focuses on photography. The styles and variety is huge even within the artists themselves. Blaide Lallemand was in the gallery when we went through and it was delightful to have her talk us through the experiences that led to the production of the various prints. The bulk of this set were generated when she was working in New York City. Her photographs are beautifully constructed around the geometry and clutteredness of a large city. Some of the pics are taken through fog to give a mysterious look to many shots. Some of the photographers have gone abstract and others are realism focused

The other artists have worked through abstract and stylised creations and I have included a sample of their pics and the gallery sheet. The photographers in the exhibition are Caroline Huf, Ellis Hutch, Blaide Lallemand, Genevieve Swifte

Feathery things @ Bungendore Woodworks Gallery

Six artists have cooperated to produce a set of works that focus on birds in the current exhibition at the Bungendore Woodworks Gallery. Just because they are all painting or drawing birds does not mean they are all the same. Some deal with close up almost bird face shots. Others specialise with groups. There are pictures that embed the birds in bush settings, other show the birds in urban situations. The artists have cooperated to create a wide-ranging set of bird paintings that we found very engaging.

The artists are Joanne Barby, Jan Barnett, Wayne Byard, Helen Fitzgerald, James Luck and Janet Matthews.

www.bungendorewoodworks.com.au

Warped and Twisted at Queanbeyan Arts Centre Gallery

The Annual Exhibition and Sale of member’s work from the Canberra Spinners and Weavers was on at the Q last weekend. For someone like me who does not do craft things it is pretty exciting to see a vast collection of clothes and other fabrics that are produced by spinners and weavers. Having it on during an overcast cold May day made is even better because most of what has been made and was on display was very warm looking.

Creative and talented spinners and weavers create delicate and robust fabrcs. These artists create clothing that looks strong and durable or fragile and translucent. The range of items and their styles was huge. Colours were predominantly earthy and natural – overall it was a warm and very tactile set of creations.

Below is a brochure.

Conrucopian Bounty – Ying Zhang at Belconnen Arts Centre

In the open gallery at Belconnen Arts Centre there is a politically engaging exhibition of consumerism and contemporary society. Ying Zhang is a young artist born and raised in China who now lives in Australia. Each work in the exhibition has a statement about our modern world. There are some almost Anne Geddes type things but with less charm. A plump newborn baby sleeping in either the whipped cream on a cup cake of slipping down the icing on the inside ring of a doughnut. Other elements have distinctive corporate container shapes painted white and redecorated with the branding of other familiar corporate logos.. The third element is a set of unusual larger canvasses that take something familiar and weave a confronting element to make a point. For example there is a purfume bottle with the foetus of a rabbit inside it. It is a great exhibition and below there is a brochure and a few snaps.

Disquiet @ ANCA Gallery

There is a striking variety about the work of the four artists in the Disquiet exhibition at the ANCA Gallery in Dickson. Amanda Davies, Sarah Galletta, Emidio Puglielli and Mark Rose each have several works and all the artists have a distinct approaches. Sarah Gallietta’s set is stark high contrast black and white photographs. On the sheet below hers it the leg on shadow and wall.

Mark Rose has created a set of non coloured fantasy pictures weaving clouds people and other objects. Emidio Puglielli is another black and white fan but combines photographs with other unusual elements. The final contributor to this set is Amanda Davies. This set focuses on a woman in a yellow dress with a feral animal mask and blood red forearms and hands. The overall impression is a trifle alarming but at the same time engaging.

Attached are the brochure gallery sheet and some sample pics.

Poetry in Action

Poetry In Action provides the rare opportunity to see poetry brought to life through performance. The blurb below from their site makes clear what they are about. I am not a big poery fan even though I have to teach it but these people were marvelous in their energy and engagement of me and the 200 Year 7 and *8 students in the sessions.

Our team of dynamic actors perform four unique shows designed to connect with and inspire high school students. Poems are performed as comic scenes, dramatic monologues, character studies, classical recitations and contemporary interpretations, making poetry accessible and easier to study.

The PIA team will visit your school and deliver a 45 minute performance followed by a question and answer session.

Join the 100,000+ students and teachers across the nation, who are discovering the advantage that PIA provides, and book your performance for 2014!

See their website below:
http://poetryinaction.com.au/

It is about Textiles Beverley Thomas @ Belconnen Arts Centre

The exhibition in the back room at the  Belconnen Arts Centre is a wonderful collection of textiles that map out the local terrain. Some are made almost of sackcloth roughly tied together and other have a sophistication and a refined beauty to them. Each piece has a particular reference or hint to the land both in their design and their texture and colour. This space is one that I love as it gives a close display of some significant indicators of an artist’s style and approach.

Attached are the gallery sheet and a few sample pictures

Justinian’s Folly @ Hellenic Club

Associate Professor Richard Miles delivered an enjoyable lecture at the Hellenic Club last Wednesday. It is part of a regular program run by the
ANU Friends of the Australian Archeological Institute at Athens. I have never been to one before but will book in to future events
The title appealed to me instantly. Justinian’s Folly: The Byzantine Re-Conquest of North Africa and Italy. I teach medieval history and that part of the history is so fascinating. Miles peppered his lecture with some fascinating PowerPoint slides of quotes and few parallels to some of the military follies of recent decades. What a blessing to be able to have a lecturer of Miles experience to come to a club near my place. The flyer is below

Click to access JUSTINIANS-FOLLY.pdf