A new exhibition drawn from the Cruthers Collection of Women's Art explores the power of portraiture to communicate aspects of a person, while acknowledging the vital role of artists in encouraging public recognition of individuals.
BLAZE: people made known at Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery will highlight recent acquisitions including renowned artists Virginia Ward, Rhonda Sharpe, Angela Brennan, Virginia Fraser and Elvis Richardson.
It also pays tribute to Susan Cooper Wyatt, a Wongatha artist, whose practice celebrates the significant impact of Aboriginal leaders.
The exhibition's title draws on the historical usage of the word 'blaze', to use fire and sound to signal an individual's arrival.
Cruthers Collection of Women's Art curator Lee Kinsella said the exhibition showcased bold self-portraits alongside depictions of artists' friends and colleagues; people who share political affiliations and creative aspirations.
"These portraits serve as tangible traces of relationships and are intensely personal statements that endure," she said.
The exhibition features Ward's sculptural self-portrait crafted using offcuts of wood from the making of ukuleles, mandolins and guitars. Drawing inspiration from Dada and Surrealist practices, the artist used found and repurposed materials to delve into a multi-dimensional self that reveals new intricacies when viewed from different angles.
"I use the offcuts and discards from human industry … delving into the multi-layered geometry, exploring all the visual possibilities of language formation though illusion using space, shape, colour and the significance of application and materials," she said.
Cooper Wyatt's paintings of Aboriginal leaders are public statements of agency and visibility, including a full-length depiction of Doris Pilkington Garimara — renowned author of Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence and Under the Wintamarra Tree who is acclaimed for her powerful writing about the ongoing impact endured by generations of her family as part of the Stolen Generations. A portrait of activist Ken Colbung, a Noongar leader, will also be on display.
BLAZE: people made known opens Friday 8 September at 5.30pm and runs till Saturday 9 December. The Gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday, 12pm to 5pm, and admission is free. For more information visit the LWAG website.
This exhibition contains the names and images of deceased Aboriginal peoples.
Image above: Rhonda Sharpe, My Selfs with Cowboy, 2021, installation of four stitched woollen sculptures on metal stands using recycled woollen blankets, natural dye, wool, acrylic yarn, size variable, installation:78 x 185 x 70cm, Cruthers Collection of Women's Art, UWA.Copyright courtesy of the artist and Yarrenyty Arltere Artists
