Central Goldfields Art Gallery will be transformed into a ‘strange garden’ this Saturday with an exciting new exhibition set to be launched.
Artist Eliza-Jane Gilchrist’s Strange Garden exhibition is launching this Saturday 29 June at 2pm and will feature creative sculptures made from discarded and recycled materials.
The artist makes so-called ugly things beautiful, challenging perceptions of insignificance, beauty and value.
In its role as packaging, cardboard is symbolic of the excessive consumption that is devastating the natural world.
By re-packaging the packaging Eliza-Jane suggests a reappraisal of what has value.
These sculptures rehabilitate ugliness. They invest the mundane with significance and re-present it as thought-provoking and beautiful – a reminder that wonders surround us if we take the time to look closely enough.
Eliza-Jane is a visual and performance artist. She has a BA (Hons) in Fine Art (Sculpture), and immigrated to Australia from the United Kingdom in 2009.
Visitors will have the opportunity to create their own cardboard organic form during their visit and add it to a growing community garden which will form part of the exhibition space.
Eliza-Jane will give a free artist talk at 1.30pm on Saturday 29 June.
Julie McLaren, Curator at the Art Gallery of Ballarat will provide opening remarks about the artist before the exhibition is officially launched by Central Goldfields Shire Chief Administrator Noel Harvey.
“So far in 2019, we have had really exciting exhibitions at the Central Goldfields Art Gallery and I have no doubt Strange Garden will be among the most popular.
“Our Art Gallery staff do an amazing job attracting amazing exhibitions for visitors and locals alike to enjoy.”
Eliza-Jane Gilchrist will run two school holiday workshops for primary and secondary aged children over the July school holidays.
