Beauty discovered in shifting shades of light and life
15 October 2019
Two new solo exhibitions by artists from the region at Gallery DownTown
Gallery DownTown presents two new solo exhibitions by artists from the region as part of the
Tweed Regional Gallery’s Community Access Exhibition Program (CAEP).
Rich in colour and applying dramatic transitions from dark to light, Against the Light by Karyn Fendley captures the contrast of light in coastal northern NSW informed by visits to the beaches and lakes of Arakwal, Bundjalung and Yuraygir National Parks. Inspired by 'notan' - a Japanese concept looking for harmony between light and dark - Fendley's practise creates a dialogue between abstraction and representation.
With scenes of bright blue skies, deep shallows and silhouettes, Fendley abstracts from the light to simplify shapes and identify specific subjects to express a sense of place.
"After spending time in the field, I return to the studio and translate my experiences of place into composite images sourced from my sketches and photographs, blending memory and observation. The simple imagery eliminates unnecessary details, yet elicits a strong feeling of locally identifiable motifs with the sharp interplay of light and shadow,” Fendley said.
Fragile by Greg Mulheran is a collection of drawings and paintings contemplating the delicate, transient and ephemeral elements of nature. Life itself is fragile and Mulheran looks at natural objects and interrogates deterioration and decay are part of the normal cycle of life to realise an absolute beauty. Each drawing reveals a mastery of medium with the subtleness of shading allowing forms and complexity of the object to emerge. Colour is used minimally yet deliberately to balance beauty and decay and depict the delicacy of nature with distinctive patterns and detail.
A practising architect since 1978, Mulheran has always maintained a connection to his art practice. He conducts a fortnightly art group at his workplace to help others hone their drawing skills.
In conjunction with Fragile, Gallery DownTown will host a pop-up studio on Saturday 16 November between 10 am – 2 pm. Visitors to the Gallery will have an opportunity to speak with Greg Mulheran and to draw objects from nature in a pop up studio setting with an option to bring their sketchbooks and join in.
Tweed Regional Gallery Director Susi Muddiman OAM said: "Karyn and Greg are two artists contributing to the region's robust visual identity. I am thrilled these artists are exhibiting as part of the Community Access Exhibitions Program."
Opening Celebrations
All welcome to attend the opening celebrations of Against the Light and Fragile on Friday 1 November | 5pm – 7pm | Gallery DownTown.
Public Programs
Pop Up Studio | Drawing with Greg Mulheran
Saturday 16 November | 10am – 2pm | FREE
More information: artgallery.tweed.nsw.gov.au/GalleryDownTown
The two exhibitions run from 18 October - 28 December 2019. Gallery DownTown is an annexe of the Tweed Regional Gallery located in the creative hub of M|Arts Precinct, in the heart of Murwillumbah - upstairs at 1 Brisbane Street.
Downloads
Photo 1(JPG, 217KB)
Caption: Karyn Fendley, Where the river meets the sea 2019 acrylic on canvas, 90 x 110cm © The artist
Photo 2(JPG, 118KB)
Caption: Greg Mulheran, Quandang 2019 graphite pencil and Inktense on paper 29.5 x 21cm © The artist