Two new art exhibitions inspired by everyday objects and rare birds will come together at Redland Art Gallery, Cleveland during February and March to create a lasting impression.
Shelf Life: Susan Gourley and Cosima Scales
Shelf Life by artists and friends Susan Gourley and Cosima Scales pays homage to readily recognisable objects presented in the still-life tradition.
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Scales’ modest paintings depict pieces of fruit, a phone, a cup and other items around the home, and are careful studies of form, light and colour.
Gourley’s sculptures present life-sized collections of mushrooms, sponges, teabags and other everyday things, all constructed from discarded materials and by-products of domestic life and construction work.
The title, Shelf Life, refers to both the tradition of the still life that features in this exhibition, and to the long-lasting friendship between the two artists.
The two artists remind us that there is beauty all around us, even in the most ordinary household objects, and we must never take that for granted.
Rara Avis: Christina Lowry
From the ordinary to the extraordinary, the Gallery will also feature photography, art and installations by Christina Lowry, presenting images of birds under threat of extinction.
Lowry’s exhibition Rara Avis, meaning rare bird, seeks to confront conflicts between the artificial and natural worlds.
Meticulously assembled scenes incorporating taxidermy and Lowry’s collection of antiques and curios blur the line between the living and the dead, the domesticated and the wild.
The work brings together practices of preservation, classification and documentation, presented in elaborately staged scenes reminiscent of works by still life masters.
Beauty and wonder are tinged with apprehension as the artist asks, how do we hold on to what we have lost?
Dates and events
An opening event for both exhibitions will be held at Redland Art Gallery, Cleveland on Friday 2 February from 6pm.
The exhibitions will be open to the public during gallery hours from Sunday 4 February to Tuesday 26 March 2024.
A floor talk, including morning tea, for these exhibitions will be held at 10am on Sunday 4 February. Bookings are essential for the exhibition opening and floor talk; register online on the Redland Art Gallery website.
Inspired by the Shelf Life exhibition, a ‘Still Life Station’ will be held on Sunday 25 February, offering a unique live drawing experience in the gallery, guided by artist Cosima Scales.
Interested participants can ‘drop-in’ any time between 9.30am and 1pm as part of the Family Sundays at the Gallery program.
