The Tweed Regional Gallery is presenting its Autumn exhibitions, opening on Friday 10 March.
The Gallery's seasonal change of exhibitions for Autumn includes a La Trobe Art Institute exhibition toured by NETS Victoria, titled One foot on the ground, one foot in the water.
The feature exhibition includes works by 11 contemporary artists who offer insights into the ways we let go of death, or hold it close, as a continuing living presence in the world.
Curator Travis Curtin said: "The immediacy of loss is one of the most difficult experiences to articulate in words. 'One foot on the ground, one foot in the water' tests what an art exhibition can do to express the complexities and mysteries of the emotional experiences surrounding death and loss that reverberate through time."
Artists featured in the exhibition include Catherine Bell, renowned Tiwi Islands artist Timothy Cook, UK artist duo French & Mottershead, Richard Lewer, Sara Morawetz, Michael Needham, Nell, Patrick Freddy Puruntatameri, Nawurapu Wunuŋmurra, and internationally renowned Gija artist, Mabel Juli.
Works on display include paintings, sculptures, installations and sound works. Accompanying the exhibition is a fully illustrated catalogue featuring six newly commissioned texts by First Nations authors. The essays and 'in conversations' offer new insights into the subject of our mortality, situating Australian First Nations knowledge and perspectives at the centre of discussion and commentary.
One foot in the ground, one foot in the water offers patrons an environment of gentle calm that encourages quiet contemplation, with space for both individual reflection and social discussion.
Sydney-based artist Susie Dureau unveils a selection of works made during her residency in the Gallery's Nancy Fairfax Artist in Residence Studio immediately after the 2022 floods. A year on from the natural disaster, Dureau recalls how the events affected her time in the studio and making of works.
"I arrived at the Tweed Regional Gallery residency following the 2022 floods in time to witness the impact of the flood on communities in the region," Dureau said.
"Meteorologists called the weather event 'a great river in the sky' because the volume of rain was comparable to a river gathering in the atmosphere. My artworks convey a sense of the intimate entanglements that bind me to the earth and its systems, a subject that is integral to my painting practice and an urgent focus in this time of climate emergency."
Dureau's residency was awarded as part of the National Art School Masters of Fine Art Residency Award.
Tweed Regional Gallery Director Susi Muddiman OAM said she was delighted to exhibit Dureau's work.
"We think back to the time of Susie's residency as a very challenging time for all in the community but we're delighted to present her solo exhibition The River in the Sky and enjoy the works she made in response," Muddiman said.
Regional artist Lyle Duncan also presents a solo exhibition titled Making a Name, which explores coastal identity and the self-proclaimed identity of the Gold Coast.
The exhibition features typographic signage appropriated from Gold Coast city apartment buildings, applied to light-sensitive paper through a process involving the sun. The solar photograms and other assemblages incorporating a beach towel pay homage to the sunny Gold Coast but also invite viewers to contemplate the symbols with a tenuous link to the idea of paradise.
"One of Lyle's solar photograms was first exhibited here in our inaugural Wollumbin Art Award in 2022 and it's wonderful to see the extension of his practice and the entire body of work now shown together in a solo exhibition," Muddiman said.
In an adjoining space in the Gallery is the exhibition Artists at Work: Installers of Tweed Regional Gallery which celebrates the individual arts practice of the Gallery's installation team.
These unsung heroes are usually responsible for creating an experience that helps to present the stories of other artists and curators through appropriate displays and lighting. For this exhibition, the Gallery has invited the team to show a selection of works from their current practice in a group exhibition.
"Our installation team continually excels in presenting the works of others and this exhibition is a chance to celebrate the work they do as artists rather than installers," Muddiman said.
The eclectic group of works features a range of media including paintings, drawings, video, small-scale sculpture and a large installation. Shown together, they celebrate the diversity found within the individual practice of each artist, but also highlight the commonalities present including self-exploration, love and loss, life experiences and responses to the natural world.
Exhibiting artists include Mike Chavez, Chas Glover, Kevin Morgan Jones, Nick Pike, Sam Steinhauer and Ruth Parry.
All four exhibitions will be officially opened to the public as part of the Gallery's Autumn opening celebrations on Friday 10 March. Booking details below.
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One foot on the ground, one foot in the water is on display from Friday 10 March until Sunday 28 May 2023.
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The River in the Sky by Susie Dureau is on display from Friday 3 March until Sunday 30 July 2023.
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Making a Name by Lyle Duncan is on display from Friday 3 March until Sunday 28 May 2023.
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Artists at Work: Installers of Tweed Regional Gallery is on display from Friday 3 March until Sunday 28 May 2023.
Public programs
Autumn Floortalks | Friday 10 March 5.15 pm - 6 pm DST | Free
The Gallery will be hosting a multi-artist floortalk with exhibiting artists Richard Lewer, Susie Dureau and Lyle Duncan. Places for this event are limited. To join the wait list - trgfloortalk.eventbrite.com.au.
Autumn Opening Celebrations | Friday 10 March | 6 - 8 pm DST | Free
The Gallery welcomes you to opening celebrations for One foot on the ground, one foot in the water a LaTrobe Art Institution exhibition toured by NETS Victoria; The River in the Sky by NAS recipient Susie Dureau; Making a Name by regional artist Lyle Duncan; and Artists at Work: Installers of Tweed Regional Gallery. Official Opening 60 pm DST for speeches at 6.30 pm. Light refreshments provided. Bookings recommended - maropen23.eventbrite.com.au.
Egg Tempera Workshop with Ruth Parry| Sunday 30 April | 10 am - 4 pm | $130
Join artist Ruth Parry for a one-day workshop to learn more about the fascinating historical medium of egg tempera. Learn how to mix egg yolk with raw pigments, and how to build up jewel-like surfaces using glazing and scumbling. Bookings at - eventbrite.com.au/e/egg-tempera-workshop-with-ruth-williams-tickets-516420115467.
