Upcoming Exhibitions

10 May – 26 June 2021

The Broken Back Range in the New South Wales Hunter Region is a subject that has often been captured by Rath; a mountain range standing proud over the valley.

In creating the body of work for her exhibition Mountain Songs, Rath has made her way up onto the mountain itself, allowing herself and her work to become immersed in the ridges, flora, fauna and vistas of the Range. ‘Mountain Songs’ is an intuitive, personal expression of the deep, emotional connection Rath feels to this landscape.

Rath seeks influence from the traditions of impressionism and expressionism, coupling these together in a contemporary practice. A traditional dark-to-light oil painting technique is merged with a dynamic, expressive painting style. In the spirit of en plein air, the work is layered, free and expressive with loose marks and rich in colour. Thick application of paint imbues a flesh-like quality, the tactile sensation an intention in the work.

Rath’s work is akin to a call to the mountains, a call to the viewer to explore their own personal connections with nature.

Image: Rebecca Rath In Tones the Bushman Only Know 2021, oil on canvas, 120 x 150cm

10 May – 21 August 2021

The rule of odds in composition asserts that elements in odd numbers promotes balance and harmony. Our minds take the visual information, organising it into something that makes sense to us - something orderly, something familiar. Individual elements are perceived as a whole.

The symmetry of pairs, however, necessitates the use of alternative compositional techniques – a singular focal point, isolation, contrast. Drawn from the Collections held by the Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre, Twofold celebrates the symmetry of pairs. Two here creates a dialogue, expresses a relationship. At times perfect symmetry has created a subconscious sense of tension where we are left with a space between. We are perhaps more alert and attuned to the composition than we may otherwise be. Across the mediums of photography, painting, works on paper, sculpture and ceramics, Twofold reveals the balance and harmony that can be achieved by works of two.

Image: Simone Darcy Ingrid & Eva The Bus Stop Project 2011, digital output print, 70 x 63cm, Muswellbrook Shire Art Collection, Gift of the Artist.

10 May – 26 June 2021

How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean – Arthur C. Clarke.

The allure of the coast is ever-present, the ocean’s meditative qualities acting as a magnetic pull. It evokes both peace and awe in equal measures. Artists and siblings Ian Skinner, Sally Burnside and Roger Skinner explore this affinity we have with the ocean in their first joint exhibition, Coast – The Edge. For Ian and Roger, both ‘land-locked’ in the regions, the chance to experience and observe the coast ensues a measured response, exploring forms from tortured rock, gnawed and sculptured by the sea, to Zen-like arrangements of boulder, coastal grass and woody debris. For Sally, who has long resided by the coast, the response is closer to one of memory and feeling. Contemplative and reflective, Coast – The Edge is an invitation to allow yourself to be drawn to the ocean.

Image: Roger Skinner, Sally Burnside, Ian Skinner