Goulburn Regional Art Gallery will open its newest exhibitions across three of its spaces at 6pm Friday, 21 October.
Opening in the main exhibition space and running throughout the summer school holiday period until 21 January 2023, Bright brings together a group of Australian artists who each explore colour and Abstraction in their practice. Taking inspiration from diverse sources including architecture, dance, design, nature and music, these artists’ works are bold and teeming with energy. The exhibition spans a range of forms, scale and materials, celebrating artists who challenge assumptions and expand possibilities.
Featuring pioneering and contemporary artists, with newly created pieces presented alongside key existing works, Bright shows the ongoing relevance of Abstraction as a visual language. At different moments, the exhibition exudes a sense of discovery, contemplation and optimism, engaging viewers in works which express the breadth of colour, line and movement.
Showcasing the practices of six artists, Bright features works from Emma Beer, Vivienne Binns, Yvette Coppersmith, Lara Merrett, Gemma Smith, Esther Stewart and Margaret Worth.
Exhibiting new work in Gallery 2 is emerging artist Judith Reardon. The Illaroo-based artist’s practice is informed by the concept of collaboration between artists and the more-than-human world. After the devastation of the Black Summer Bushfires in 2019-20, Reardon interrogated the impact of the fires through a process of observation, recording, and interaction. Reardon’s discovery of an abundance of fungi led to the artist’s collaboration with Mycelium, a root-like branching structure of fungus which creates organic shapes and transforms in unexpected ways. Playfully documenting Mycelium’s actions through video and animation, the artist prompts audiences to reflect on the state of the environment and encourage a more sustainable connection with the natural world.
As part of the Gallery’s commitment to supporting and developing new and local practices within its 120km radius, Reardon’s work is a bold step into new media and a unique field of research. The exhibition titled An exotic world of fantastic weirdness opens on Friday 21 October and draws to a close on Saturday 26 November 2022.
The third exhibition space to open on 21 October is The Window – a space entirely dedicated to showcasing work from the Gallery’s permanent collection. Having been curated previously by local artists, visiting arts professionals, Gallery staff and members of Goulburn’s community, this iteration has been offered to the students of Goulburn West Public School.
Engaging regularly in tour groups and activities within the Gallery’s exhibitions throughout the school year, the students of Goulburn West are enthusiastic and curious when it comes to contemporary art. A small group of Goulburn West’s teachers visited the Gallery to compile a shortlist of works (with the Gallery’s holdings exceeding 500 works). They then presented a range of artwork choices and combinations to the students to choose from. The students’ selection will be unveiled to the public from the opening event at 6pm Friday, 21 October, and the exhibition will remain open until Saturday 26 November.
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