Robert Boynes – Modern Times @ Drill Hall Gallery

23 June 13 August 2017.

I love the work of Robert Boynes. I have seen it in bits and pieces over many years. So I was partially prepared for the big exhibition that has opened at the Drill Hall gallery that covers twenty years of Boynes’ work.

There is something about a well curated big exhibition of an artists’ work that gives an insight to the power of their craft that does not come from a few works here and there. I love Boynes’ wonderful take on our urban city experience. He gets the transitory nature of it all. He portrays it light, its griminess, its speed, and its flickering nature as we walk through it.

This exhibition brought me a much greater understanding of his powerful political commentary on our past and present. I was struck at the great use of intriguing titles for his work that encouraged viewers to engage more fully with the art. If I think of his work the standout colour in his practice is effective use of red.

I am very thankful to the Drill Hall staff and curators for an exhibition that I found to be profound thought provoking and visually exhilarating.

Some sample pics are below

Nigel Lendon – Modeling the now @ Drill Hall Gallery

The Nigel Lendon exhibition is a set of structures of intersecting mainly wooden blocks to create colourful towers or blocks. The collections come in black red and white and some in big ranges of colours. Works are short and chunky others almost challenge balance by their narrow height.

Pics, blog and gallery sheets below

https://glasscentralcanberra.wordpress.com/tag/nigel-lendon-modelling-the-now/

The birth of cool @ Drill Hall Gallery

The latest exhibition at the Drill Hall Gallery is a gorgeous exploration of a set of works created by four artists in the 60s and 70s. They are all abstract, apparently inspired. There is a back story to how these works got to Drill Hall but the main thing to me is the remarkable visual excitement of what is on the wall. It is all abstract, large with explosive use of colour. The amazing thing about all this art is the limited number put up on the walls. I guess there were only 20 works in the whole place but all of them are vibrant and graphically striking. The artists involved are as David Aspden, Sydney Ball, Michael Johnson and  Dick Watkins.

http://dhg.anu.edu.au/events/the-birth-of-the-cool/

Here are some pics from the exhibition.

Michael Buzacott – Sculpture @ Drill Hall Gallery

25 September – 1 November 2015

Raw rusted metal hard cut with an oxy torch is brutal and ugly. Michael Buzacott has created idiosyncratic, fun and often soft works of engaging and entertaining beauty.

The Michael Buzacott exhibition covers the last 40 years of his career and does it with a big variety of styles and sizes of constructions.I was not aware of his work before I went in but thoroughly enjoyed his work. The blurb says he has majored in a Cubist style and that is clear in many objects on display.

The exhibition is a big one with lots of hard metal objects all with

I would love to know the story behind some works that have personal names attached to them. Consider what it would be like to be greeted with one of these if you were the person.represented

Major General Ronald

Richard Goodwin

Belle Bangalow

Another fun item was titled Urban Nude. The nude has such a wonderful relaxed at ease approach it is fun to look at expecially as it is made out of hard metal.

There are some wonderful complex almost soft looking creations that look like they could be part of a garden.

Australian Paintings from the James and Jacqui Erskine Collection @ Drill Hall Gallery

From 22 May 2015 until 28 June 2015

Some art collectors do a great job. The Erskines are clearly good at collecting art. The collection of mainly abstract art on display at the ANU Drill Hall Gallery is an exciting and vibrant set. It includes variety of styles and artists. I have pictured four of the ones I loved below and the gallery sheet
http://dhg.anu.edu.au/events/selected-works-from-the-james-erskine-collection/
Dick Watkins – Berkeley Square

John Olsen – Rented Quarters

Ken Whisson Kitchen Table

Emily Kngwarreye Awelye

Return to ANZAC Cove – ‘Your Friend The Enemy’ @ Drill Hall Gallery

One of the exhibitions that form part of the industrial scale World War One reminiscences currently on in almost every institution is the Return to ANZAC Cove – ‘Your Friend The Enemy’ exhibition at the Drill Hall Gallery
Thirteen artists were taken to Anzac Cove to record their reflections on the area in 100th anniversary year of the Anzac battles. They have recorded their impressions and they vary through impressionist to close to realistic images. The exhibition has a video showing in one room in which the artists are interviewed in situ about their reaction to Gallipoli.
Below the gallery sheet and some pics and the Drill Hall web page.
http://dhg.anu.edu.au/events/your-friend-the-enemy/

Freehand recent works by Ann Thompson @ Drill Hall Gallery

Ann Thompson has been making art for decades and this exhibition is the last seven years of her work. Her approach is abstract generally on large canvasses with lots of bright colours. Some of the work on display is of a basic black line drawings and some of the abstract large canvas creations are of very sombre tones. I liked the exhibition and especially the jazz concert that was being performed in the space while I was there.
Pics below and the gallery sheet
Drill Hall Gallery
http://dhg.anu.edu.au/events/ann-thomson/