I was immensely flattered as I have always named respect from my peers as my major professional goal.
Yesterday I went to Sydney and visited Rex Irwin Gallery in Woollahra. The gallery occupies some beautifully proportioned rooms on the first floor of a building in Queen Street. When I entered the gallery I was immediately greeted and offered a room sheet and catalogue for the exhibition. I often talk to other artists about how important it is to feel welcome in a gallery. Despite being rather 'plainly' dressed for a visit to Woolahra I was treated with respect and made to feel comfortable to look at the work on exhibition. To often one is surveyed and dismissed, as I was earlier in the day, on arrival at a gallery which considers itself to be important.
The exhibition of ceramics and photography by Louise Boscacci was really beautiful and I am still thinking about it. Beautifully crafted ceramic bowls and vessels had soft silken glazes. Some works were printed with photographs and others were covered with illegible poetic texts. The photographs were of Far North Queensland's cane growing areas in the 60s and I was powerfully transported to childhood holidays in my fathers home town of Ingham. The works also reminded me of old chinese ceramics which somehow held precious memories. Several works were multiple pieces displayed with the quiet stillness of the works of Morandi.
These really strong evocative works are still very much on my mind.
No images here as you should visit the gallery or the websites.
2 comments:
Well you've inspired me Susan and I've visited the gallery website and Louise's. I get a sense of the delicacy and story in the works, but I feel these really need to be experienced in the flesh for their full effect. Louise's site has me though in her 'Words on work', wonderful written accounts, experiences and processes of her site visits and developing work. Wow! It's too easy to get so busy making work that I forget capturing these initial experiences and thoughts of a place can be so refreshing and enlightening and inspiring.
Thank you.
I think Gallery's forget that they are shops selling art. I have experienced the dismal you talk about in Brisbane many times. On travelling and going to Gallery's in Melbourne I never have experienced any dismal. Even in the best shops. It's like a culture there. They haven't forgotten that business is about good customer service. Jeez! I would hate it if my work was in one of those shops that dismissed customers comming in to see my work. I think some Gallery's need to get their heads out of their frames. Candyxx
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