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11 november - 28 november 2009
opening night drinks wednesday 11 november 6 - 8pm
We don't suffer fools gladly
Melbourne-based artist Rebecca Power has been exploring the dark side of ‘fairtyale macabre’ for some years now. This new series of ink and watercolour paintings expands upon her previous exhibitions to address issues of power, sexuality and control. As Rebecca notes, 'We don’t suffer fools gladly’, is a saying that only those in places of authority and power have the luxury of saying. I aim to tackle feminist issues by portraying girls, who are most often depicted as innocent and vulnerable, with an essence of power and authority that affords them to say such a thing.'
These intensely evocative portraits encapsulate the tension between vulnerability and strength, silence and subordination. Careful attention has been paid to certain features, such as the eyes or hands, while the expressive appearance of painterly drips and bleeds foregrounds the visceral tactility of the materials. For this exhibition, Rebecca has also created a special site-specific mural painted directly onto the gallery wall that provides context for her works and reinforces their meanings.
Born in Melbourne in 1979, Rebecca completed her Bachelor of Fine Art at the Victorian College of the Arts. Since then she has participated in several group shows and three solo exhibitions. Her work can be found in private collections in Britain, Europe and Australia as well as online.
(left) Red Hands (detail), watercolour and ink on paper, 70 x 35 cm, 2009; (above) Zahalia, watercolour and ink on paper, 2009.
PENNY PARKINSON AND ROMANY GLOVER
I was, I am
Stockinged legs dangle from the ceiling, and plywood pixels scatter the walls. Everyday materials are dissected and reassembled to become secret codes whispering from timber grain and nylon. I was, I am is an exhibition of recent work by Romany Glover and Penny Parkinson. Penny reworks stockings into new forms that explore elements of what it means to be human. Romany is fascinated with the texture and surface of humble objects. What I was is not what I am.
Penny’s soft sculptures embrace textiles, women’s arts and everyday objects as points of inspiration. Romany’s art making process involves the design and assembly of many individual timber pieces into large compositions that delight in the simplicity of random marks and natural textures. Penny was recently awarded the Australian Academy of Design / Toyota Community Spirit Emerging Sculpture Award (2009). This is Penny and Romany's first collaborative exhibition.
Romany Glover Surface and Self, acrylic, black japan and charcoal on timber panels, 2009; Penny Parkinson, Miscalculation, nylon stocking and soft filling, 2009.
... and the gods made blue (part II)
…and the Gods made Blue is a painted installation that consumes the rear space at red gallery. A droplet of solid light intrudes from the window frame, surrounded by a panorama of blue paintings. The science-fiction imagery oozes heavy paint; some canvases are pocked with holes stitched and re-stitched to build up scarred surfaces. Alien figures gather around a bizarre incursion from another realm ...
Crossing the borders of painting, sculpture and site specific work, Adam Douglass' practice explores the dichotomies of transcendence and the apocalypse through space, colour and form, while seeking potential new avenues to engage the spectator. This exhibition is an extension of his previous project in an abandoned house in Brunswick in 2009, in which 'malibu blue' protrusions invaded and consumed an entire home.
Adam Douglass is a New-Zealand born artist who has undertaken numerous group, solo and time-based projects in Dunedin, Auckland, Christchurch and also Perth. This is his first gallery-based exhibition in Melbourne.
