Artel #12 ~ MRAG Members' Magazine (Winter/Spring 2024) by Maitland Regional Art Gallery

ARTEL

Biannual #12 Winter/Spring 2024

MAITLAND REGIONAL ART GALLERY AND ITS MEMBERS

ACKNOWLEDGE THE WONNARUA PEOPLE AS THE TRADITIONAL OWNERS AND CUSTODIANS OF THE LAND UPON WHICH THE GALLERY STANDS.

MRAG

Located on Wonnarua Country at the gateway to the Hunter Valley in Maitland New South Wales, Maitland Regional Art Gallery presents awardwinning exhibitions and events alongside engaging and varied public programs, educational offerings, and an in-depth Arts Health program. 230 High Street, Maitland, NSW 2320

Open: Tues–Sun 9am–4pm Ph: 02 4934 9859

E: artgallery@maitland.nsw.gov.au W: mrag.org.au

MRAGM

Maitland Regional Art Gallery Members, the vibrant community of MRAG supporters who, through their membership and fundraising, help sustain the Gallery’s creative learning programs.

Represented by volunteers, on the Friends of MRAG committee.

ARTEL

‘Artel’ is of Russian origin and refers to an arts or crafts co-operative. The ‘Artel of Artists’ (1863) was formed by a group of St Petersburg Academy of Arts students who’d rebelled against the rules of its annual art competition. Artel has been the name of the MRAGM newsletter, now magazine, since 2007.

COVER IMAGE

Still image from the work Temple, 2022, digital work, multi-channel, continuous loop 6 minutes 26 seconds

Collaboration: Leila Jeffreys x Melvin J. Montalban Leila Jeffreys is represented by Olsen Gallery, Gadigal/Sydney

ARTEL 04 WELCOME

Welcome to our 2024 Winter/Spring issue of Artel. With the second half of the year already in full swing, the momentum continues with a mammoth exhibition program including exhibitions Lineage: a visual continuum – exploring the connections that are forged through artmaking, Old Stories New Magic – an exhibition that embraces folklore, myth, and the surreal, and Twitcher, which brings together the work of many significant, contemporary artists and collectives.

We are now well into our long-term loan from the National Gallery of Australia as part of the Sharing the National Collection initiative that will see Pregnant woman reside at MRAG until September 2025. The feedback from our visitors has been overwhelming – and we share some of these responses in this issue.

If you’ve visited the Gallery in recent weeks, you may have seen a new series of exhibitions sharing court with Pregnant woman The works of Jennifer Hankin and Jess Taylor have already been exhibited in this eight-week program, and the work of Nicole Monks and Jenine Boeree are still to come. The integration of these projects into the space with Pregnant woman offers fresh perspectives on motherhood, connection, the human body, and familial bonds. Bodywork, from the MRAG collection explores the representation of the body in art in all its forms.

There is so much to experience at the Gallery over the next six months. We hope you enjoy our Winter/Spring issue of Artel and look forward to welcoming you in the Gallery over the next few months.

Gerry Bobsien, Gallery Director

FRIENDS OF MRAG

Friends of MRAG committee

Leah Riches

Council Representative Cr Sally Halliday Gallery Director Gerry Bobsien

Reflecting on recent member events, our walking tour of Maitland’s vibrant art scene was a real highlight. Making stops at Raven Gallery, WordXimage Gallery, and Studio Amsterdam, where we were privileged to take a peek behind the scenes into Patricia Van Lubeck’s studio and her practice. The camaraderie among our members, their shared passion and curiosity, made it a memorable event.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without written permission from MRAGM. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information and to secure copyright permissions, we apologise for any oversights, which we will correct in future issues. All images © the artists.

In things ahead, mark your calendars for Saturday October 12, and come with us as we embark on a tour of Newcastle Art Space. This exclusive visit will offer insights into the ever-evolving creative energy in the region, providing us with a deeper understanding of the artistic landscape and working artists beyond our beloved Maitland.

These events provide Friends of Maitland Regional Art Gallery members with enriching opportunities to engage with local artists and international exhibitions. Your participation enriches our collective experience and strengthens our bond as supporters of the Maitland Regional Art Gallery. We are thrilled to continue fostering our community of art enthusiasts and hope to see you at these upcoming events. We look forward to welcoming you to the gallery soon.

Leah Riches, Chair, Friends of MRAG committee

06 AUDIENCE RESPONSES

Ron Mueck, Pregnant woman

Pregnant woman is simply magnificent. Thank you.

Pregnant woman is just wonderful, so inspiring. Her serenity, her posture, and the look of contentment on her face, thank you Maitland for bringing her to us we are very privileged!

Deeply affecting and a fabulous tribute to Maitland. I cried when I saw her.

I am a mother, and this work took me back to the time in my life when I was pregnant. I was deeply moved by her.

Mueck’s attention to detail and lifelike rendering of the female form was spot on. Seeing and experiencing this work was deeply moving. She took my breath away.

The miracle of the human body. The expression on her face reminded me of my own experience of being pregnant. It was amazing. What Mueck has captured here is astounding.

She is graceful and powerful. I feel so honoured to have seen her.

I’ve never seen a work more realistic and beautifully stuck in a moment of reflection. I was in awe.

Pregnant woman is stunning.

Yesterday I saw the beautiful Pregnant woman. My boys weren’t sure where to look and I loved hearing other mums say, ‘it’s just natural’, when they opened the door. I love how art starts conversations.

Ron Mueck’s Pregnant woman is on long term loan from the National Gallery of Australia with support from the Australian Government as part of Sharing the National Collection.

Ron Mueck, Pregnant woman, 2002. National Gallery of Australia collection.

Photo: Newy Digital

Linde Ivimey, Old stories new magic installation view. Photo: Leighsa Cox

From pagan ritual to fairy tales and Tjukurpa passed down through generations, narratives have guided us through the labyrinth of human existence for millennia. The enchantment of storytelling, whether whispered in the quiet of night or boldly proclaimed, beckons us to explore worlds beyond our own. Delving into the ethereal landscapes of dreams, the enigmatic depths of the mythical, and the enduring echoes of the past, Old Stories New Magic

MICHELLE GEARIN . LINDE IVIMEY NAOMI KANTJURINYI . ADAM LEE

SARKER PROTICK . JULIA ROBINSON

HEATHER B. SWANN

illuminates the creative expressions of a diverse array of Australian and international artists, each casting their own unique light upon the enduring allure of folklore and storytelling.

Respected Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) artist, Naomi Kantjurinyi’s depictions of Mamu (good and bad spirits) informs her practice.

As a Ngangkari (traditional healer), she has worked first hand with those affected by Mamu in her community since 2001. Ngangkari provide treatments for the mind, body and spirit, and are trained to release the Mamu from sick people.

Linde Ivimey and Julia Robinson’s works are heavily informed by pagan beliefs and rituals and sit at the intersection of folk horror and folklore. Blending historical costuming and sculpture, Ivimey uses materials like bone, fabric, found and precious objects to create uncanny and often child-sized figures.

In Found Missing, the skull of a sheep is inlaid with gemstones, while the hands of the creature are fastened chicken bones, and the body is depicted in a black cotton dress – referencing witchcraft and the cyclical nature of pagan tradition. Heavily influenced by the European witch trials, and the stories of superstition and horror that plagued this period, South Australian artist Julia Robinson uses sewing, crocheting, and costumemaking techniques handed down by her mother and paternal grandmother. Pagan symbols, harvesting tools, and natural dyed linen clothing is interspersed to conjure macabre stories of our collective past. In The Pledge, a high neck, sun coloured dress has been split down the middle - dispersed in opposite directions and attached by nails to two large scythes –creating a ghostly remnant of sacrifice and torture.

With a focus on connecting with stories from the past, Michelle Gearin, Heather B. Swann, and Adam Lee draw from the surreal scapes of dreams, allegory and folklore.

Using oils and watercolours, Gearin creates hybrid mythological creatures that exude a powerful, otherworldly energy. The work Prism, incorporates forty-nine individual paintings that read as if separate pages of a story book or portholes into other worlds. Gearin challenges conventional notions of perception and invites viewers to embrace the fantastical aspects of the human imagination, immersing ourselves in a world of dreamlike imaginings.

Swann’s vision manifests through figurative reflexes, resulting in images of human or animal bodies that convey life, yet are linked by surrealism and an instinct for abstraction. Her work presents forms that teeter on the edge of the recognisable and the fantastical, evoking both the familiar and the uncanny. In Oh Lover, hold me close - Green Slippers, an enormous green tree frog hovers in the dark – while the panel alongside portrays the naked human form clothed only in green slippers, and two pieces of aptly placed

fruit – hovering at the edges of the stories of Cinderella, Eve, and The Princess and the Frog - revealing the beauty found in the enigma of not knowing.

Drawing from historical and family photographs, folklore, spiritual narratives, and history, Adam Lee’s paintings intertwine memory, imagination, and transcendence, creating atmospheric worlds rich in allegory. Bitter River (Shape of the World), draws on imagery of the Imago Mundi, thought to be the oldest

known map of the world from 9th C BC Babylon. Lee’s inquisitiveness toward the idea that a map provided bearings and knowledge from exploration and enquiry, and how this concept of knowing ourselves and the importance of place is still largely intangible in our modern world, despite all advancements and technologies.

Sarker Protick’s multichannel work, রশ্মি / Rasmi / Ray,seeks to reconcile the competing

influences of a natural world full of ambiguity and paradoxs. This work is expansive with sound responding to image.

Protick’s work highlights change and permanence, capturing transient moments that highlight the fragility of human existence.

At the heart of Old Stories New Magic lies an investigation into cultural memory, oral narrative, folklore, and history and the impact and significance these stories continue to have on the modern world.

Through mediums as varied as the stories they interpret, Naomi Kantjurinyi, Michelle Gearin, Heather B. Swann, Julia Robinson, Lindie Ivimey, Adam Lee, and Sarker Protick infuse traditional narratives with vibrant perspectives and imaginative fervour.

Joey Hespe, Arts writer

Julia Robinson, Old stories new magic installation view. Photo: Leighsa Cox

LINEAGE: A VISUAL CONTINUUM

Lineage, a visual continuum is an exhibition about the broadness, strength, and evolution of friendships grown in tandem with a life led by creativity. The artists in this exhibition frequently collaborate and travel together, enriching their individual creative processes through shared experiences. These interactions foster a supportive environment where they challenge and inspire each other, contributing to a rich cultural exchange within the Australian artistic community.

At various times these artists have been teachers, some at leading tertiary art institutions, and in one way or another they have all been students on a lifelong creative quest. Five of the eight artists are recipients of the National Art School Fellowship,1 an award that acknowledges the achievement of eminent visual artists, arts administrators, writers, advocates, and academics who have made outstanding contributions to the

visual arts community in Australia*. Three artists in this exhibition have won the Archibald Prize and two have won the Sulman Prize, twice in both categories for Kevin Connor.2

Each artist in this exhibition has been awarded numerous traveling scholarships, and several have been selected as finalists in many major art prizes. Not only did Guy Warren win the Archibald Prize in 1985, but also he was the subject of the winning 100th Archibald prize in 2021, when Peter Wegner painted him. Coincidentally, 2021 also marked the year of Warren’s 100th birthday.

Artists are often romanticised in popular culture, movies and stories as living and working in solitude and while aspects of this common motif are true, for this group of eight, moments of seclusion are prefaced with travel trips exploring collective experiences together. Sophie Cape, Ann Thomson and Steve Lopes were first introduced to Maitland

29 JUN 2024 – 27 OCT 2024

Regional Art Gallery (MRAG) by Euan Macleod, a longtime friend of MRAG when in 2020 they embarked on a road trip together to explore Bundjalung, Yaegl and the Gumbaynggirr region of the Clarence Valley. In 2009 Shonah Trescott, Ann Thomson, Euan Macleod, Steve Lopes

SOPHIE CAPE . KEVIN CONNOR . ELISABETH CUMMINGS

STEVE LOPES . EUAN MACLEOD . ANN THOMSON SHONAH TRESCOTT . GUY WARREN

and others travelled together to New Zealand in preparation of the exhibition, On this island, meeting and parting 3 In 2015, Elizabeth Cummings, Steve Lopes and Euan Macleod and others, all travelled together to the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey in preparation of the

exhibition Your friend the enemy : Gallipoli Centenary Exhibition. 4 Ann Thomson and Sophie Cape had just returned from an art trip to Broken Hill in the weeks leading up to this exhibition.

In various configurations within this group these artists support each

other, work together, and acknowledge that many great cultural stories stand on the shoulders of giants; they are not alone. Themes of nature, identity, displacement, and the passage of time resonate throughout the works of these eight artists.

Elisabeth Cummings has cultivated a distinctive style marked by loose brushwork and a nuanced use of colour influenced by living in the bush in her hand-built mud brick home. Guy Warren and Kevin Connor both emphasise movement, form, space, and line in their work. Warren’s abstracted landscapes often merge human figures with natural forms, creating a dynamic interplay between the two. Connor’s work, on the other hand, captures the bustling energy of urban environments, yet still resonates with the organic forms found in nature.

Ann Thomson’s symbiosis with the natural world is evident in her abstract compositions, reflecting the interconnectedness of all living things.

Sophie Cape’s works are both visceral and evocative. Her layered compositions, often created in challenging outdoor conditions, reflect a deep connection to the

physicality of the landscape. Euan Macleod’s relationship with nature continues in a similar vein. With epic landscapes overshadowing lone figures, Macleod’s ability to convey our relationship with nature is at the heart of his awe-inspiring paintings. His works capture the raw, often turbulent interaction between humanity and the natural world, underscoring a profound respect for the landscape. Steve Lopes, known for his figurative work, bridges the gap between the natural and urban landscapes, exploring themes of displacement and identity. His paintings often depict solitary figures in vast, open spaces, highlighting the human condition in relation to the environment.

The ability to capture time and memory is a significant aspect of this exhibition.

Shonah Trescott’s timebased installation Red Gold, 2024, comprises over 4,000

Red Cedar seeds arranged in a circle, the average size of the circumference of an old-growth cedar trunk. This piece navigates the stories and physicality of nature, reflecting on what has been lost to time and the cyclical nature of life.

In essence, the exhibition Lineage, a visual continuum portrays the power of artistic kinship and the enduring impact of collaboration in shaping cultural narratives. It invites audiences to appreciate the diversity and interconnectedness of these artists’ practices, revealing a shared journey of creativity and mutual influence over many decades.

Kim Blunt, Senior Curator

1 National Art School, https://nas.edu.au/ fellows/ accessed online 21 June 2024

2 Kevin Connor won the Archibald Prize twice (1975,1977) the Sulman Prize twice (1991, 1997) and the Dobell Prize for Drawing twice (1993, 2005).

3 This exhibition was launched at S.H. Ervin and then ANU Drill Hall Gallery and then toured to Bathurst Regional Art Gallery and Auckland City Art Gallery and other venues throughout 2015-16.

4 This exhibition was shown at Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, 2010.

(previous page) Wall: Euan Macleod, Lineage, 2024, acrylic on polyester. Floor: Sophie Cape, The Fallen, 2014/2024, snow, salt, soil, yak mess and pigment on linen

(above) Sophie Cape, The Fallen (detail) 2014/2024, snow, salt, soil, yak mess and pigment on linen

(right) Wall: Shonah Trescott, Forest Étrécissements, 2024, National Forest Policy Statement, A New Focus for Australia’s Forests, 1992, burnt ink on watercolor paper

Floor: Shonah Trescott, Red Gold, 2024, Red cedar (Toona ciliata) seeds. Awabakal name: Koolai Scientific: Toona ciliata

Photography: Leighsa Cox

Still image from the work Temple, 2022, digital work, multi-channel, continuous loop 6 minutes 26 seconds

Collaboration: Leila Jeffreys x Melvin J. Montalban

Leila Jeffreys is represented by Olsen Gallery, Gadigal/Sydney

The pleasure of birdwatching has captivated enthusiasts and artists alike for centuries. The thrill of spotting a rare or beautiful bird in its natural habitat is a tribute to humanity’s enduring fascination with the avian world. While modern technology has made it easier to access images and videos of birds, the intersection of birdwatching and art history spans centuries, reflecting both the scientific curiosity and artistic appreciation of local bird life.

Long before high-definition documentaries and live bird cams, artists played a pivotal role in bringing the natural world closer to human understanding. From as early as the late fourteenth century, artists have dedicated themselves to capturing the intricate details of birds through drawings, prints, and paintings. Their work not only documented avian diversity but also contributed to scientific knowledge and the appreciation of nature’s beauty across different continents.

It was this fascination with the colourful flying creatures that brought artist, Nigel Milsom – a twitcher himself (twitcher: a birdwatcher whose main aim is to collect sightings of rare birds) to MRAG with an idea to showcase our long-held obsession with bird watching.

A very local bird story will feature in Twitcher – the Regent Honeyeater is a critically endangered bird local to the Hunter area. Since 2018, Mindaribba Local Aboriginal Land Council has worked tirelessly with numerous levels of government, nongovernment organisations, Taronga Sydney and Taronga Western Plains Zoos as part of a breed and release program to help save this species. Documentation of these native honeyeaters being released onto Wonnarua Lands will feature as part of this exhibition and is an urgent reminder of the fragility of native birds within our local community and the ongoing need to look after Country.

A key work in this exhibition, Temple, 2022, by artist Leila Jeffreys and filmmaker Melvine J. Motalban pays homage to the Australian cockatoo. Jeffreys is an acclaimed photographic and video artist best known for her captivating images of birds from Australia and around the world that explore and subvert the traditions of portraiture.

Works from MRAG’s collection will include Peter Speight’s Cassowary, 2007, a large painted sculpture complete with a touch of humour – often seen in the late Hunterbased artist’s work. Also featuring from the MRAG collection is Todd Fuller’s animation Icarus on the Hill, 2017, created from multiple paintings and drawings by the artist while in residence at Hill End. This work narrates the moment when Fuller was driving at night and an owl flew into his car windscreen – a commentary on the impact of human activity on native wildlife.

TWITCHER

And what kind of exhibition about birds could be created without the humble Australian budgerigar? Before the budgerigar was domesticated, the Indigenous species was uniquely yellow and green in colour. Today, the caged budgie bred in captivity features colours of blue, white, mauve, and grey. Ben Quilty looks deeper into this cute and humble bird with his somewhat menacing, looming blue budgie, Poly, 2004. Quilty has long been fascinated with birds, having used budgies, mynas, and cockatoos as visual motifs throughout his work. Even seeing himself as a budgie, Quilty painted the aptly titled Self Portrait as Budgie, 2004 from his solo exhibition, Young and Free? in 2004* drawing parallels between the effects of post-colonisation on both humans and the environment. Today, birdwatching continues to thrive as a popular hobby and a crucial activity for conservation

efforts. Events like the Great Aussie Bird Count, which will coincide with this exhibition, bring together bird enthusiasts to observe and record bird species, contributing valuable data to conservation initiatives. This annual event underscores the community’s dedication to understanding and protecting local bird populations.

Bird conservation remains a pressing issue globally, with habitat loss, climate change, and other human activities threatening many species. Birdwatchers, artists, scientists, and conservationists collaborate to safeguard these feathered wonders for future generations. The intersection of art, science, and advocacy in birdwatching underscores its profound impact on our understanding of biodiversity and our responsibility to protect the natural world.

Courtney Novak, Deputy Director

* Ben Quilty: Young and Free?, Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane, 2004.

Ben Quilty, Budgie After Streeton, 2004, oil on canvas.

THE GREAT AUSSIE BIRD COUNT

The Great Aussie Bird Count is for all ages and involves observing and counting the birds that live near you, be it in your garden, the local park, the beach or even outside your office window! You don’t need to be an expert bird watcher to take part — all you need is a little enthusiasm!

By telling us about the birds you’ve seen within a 20-minute period, you will help BirdLife Australia develop an understanding of local birds while getting to know the wildlife on your doorstep. For more information on how you can help out, go to birdlife.org.au

BODYWORK

There is no ignoring the wonder of the human body when Ron Mueck’s Pregnant woman, 2002, is in the gallery. On loan from the National Gallery of Australia, with support from the Australian Government as part of Sharing the National Collection, this monumental sculpture stands its ground in her new surroundings at Maitland Regional Art Gallery (MRAG).

Over the next eighteen months while Pregnant woman resides at the Gallery, MRAG will present a series of exhibitions that extend the investigation into motherhood, exploring themes of family, renewal, new life, connections, and the body. These exhibitions will feature works by artists who work across various media, including sculpture, video, installation, and music. MRAG will also delve into our collection to present two exhibitions: Bodywork, on display from 9 November 2024 to 2 March 2025 and, Mother, from July 2025. Bodywork explores works in our collection that represent the many ways that artists portray the body in art. It includes works that illustrate diverse

approaches that we hope will spark inspiration for our audiences. The exhibition will include some of Australia’s most respected artists as well as international artists such as South African William Kentridge, and French artist Eric Manigaud.

We will also present new acquisitions by Julie Rrap and James Drinkwater.

Rrap’s photograph, Windage is from the artist’s 2004 Soft Targets series in which Rrap photographed her own body. Rrap consistently uses the body as her subject across her extensive practice referencing the long history of the female body as subject of the artist’s and the viewer’s gaze.

The series metaphorically equates the camera with a firearm, suggesting that taking a photograph is akin to shooting the subject. The series title, Soft Targets, highlights the vulnerability of the naked body as the focus of a photograph, while also referencing the military term for an unprotected or vulnerable target.1

Windage, 2004, was donated by Nell and Kylie Kwong in 2020.

09 NOV 2024 – 02 MAR 2025

The Walk Home from the Trots, 2021, by James Drinkwater was donated to the MRAG Collection by the artist in 2023.

This expressive and layered painting is from his 2021Stablehand series where the artist immersed himself into the world of horse racing.

Unlike his complex abstract works, what he calls a ‘cacophony’, in The Walk Home from the Trots we get an insight into the colourful characters on race day. A recurring motif in Drinkwater’s work – a sea urchin – depicted as a star or asterisk in the top righthand corner of The Walk Home from the Trots – is a homage to his maternal grandfather, Captain Louis Ferrari and the title of his 2018 exhibition Looking for urchins and Louis Ferrari.2

Cheryl Farrell, Collection Management Curator

1 https://www.julierrap.com/sites/default/files/ Blair_French.pdf

2 This exhibition was shown at Nanda\Hobbs, Sydney, 2018.

James Drinkwater, The Walk Home from the Trots, 2021, oil on linen. Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program in memory of Rachel Wright, 2023.

FROM THE MAITLAND REGIONAL ART GALLERY COLLECTION

MEET AN ARTIST ROBERT FIELDING

‘This is what it’s all about. Tjukurpa handle it. It’s on a lintel. It’s on the doorway. It’s about holding onto my teachers, men, women, the men that once sat in this room with power. You must hold onto the importance of what Tjukurpa means. What miil-miilpa means, what manta means, what ngapartji-ngapartji means, what tjungu means. What malpa means. It means friends, storytelling, looking after each other, nurture, respect, acknowledge, embrace, fight, argue, forgive, respect, reconcile.’

– Robert Fielding

Robert Fielding.

Photo: Meg Hansen Photography.

Meet Robert Fielding, artist, storyteller, and a keeper of Tjukurpa (ceremony and culture). Descendant of the first Afghan cameleers, and the Yankunytjatjara and Western Arrenda people of the central desert, Fielding lives and works in Mimili Community on the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands.

As a son of the Stolen Generation, Robert Fielding is acutely aware of the legacy of the past while embracing the here and now with space for hope and a reconciled future. Through his research and committed curiosity, he has recovered his own stolen history and pieced together his story while also learning from Elders on the APY Lands, a land he returned to in 1998. This tension between the old and the new continues to propel his art and cultural mentorship in his community of Mimili.

I first met Robert Fielding at the Art Gallery of NSW where he was exhibiting Milpatjunanyi – a work of art

that honours the practice of storytelling by Anangu women by drawing in the earth. Shortly after, I visited Mimili community – the first of several visits, in the lead up to the development of Robert’s exhibition at MRAG. Robert’s studio in the Mimili Maku Art Centre is a place of quiet intensity. Constantly changing with new process, new ideas and Robert’s unflinching commitment to telling the stories of his Elders, his teachers, his family.

Lisa Slade wrote in a recent issue of Artlink, about the relationship between Robert, the art centre and his colleague, friend, and collaborator Angus Webb. She starts with the entrance way to the wati (mens) studio with Robert’s signature branding Tjukurpa Handle It plastered on the doorframe.

One of Robert Fielding’s early geopolitical interventions, these aerosol words mark a threshold into the space where Fielding makes art. Placed high on the lintel, the letters

herald the power of the studio and acknowledge past grandmasters, as Fielding calls them, and those to come of the Mimili art movement. Among these masters is the spirit of Kunmanara (Mumu Mike) Williams, with whom Fielding shares a love of language and material invention.ii

In Maitland, it will be Fielding’s enduring and persistent printmaking that will be the heart of this exhibition revealing a preoccupation that runs through all his work. When you meet Robert, he takes both your hands in his and looks you directly in the eye. He is all things welcoming, curious, and quietly challenging. You need to listen, keep up. Conversation is fast-paced. Dates and numbers punctuate his storytelling. The significance, burden and freedom of certain dates and times in his own life and that of his family. He is both forthright and poetic. Stories emerge along a timeline, 1927, 1948, 1969, 1998, 14 October 2023.

These numbers pinpoint very specific events that are all present in the work he makes. In 2022, Fielding drew on the ideas and powerful storytelling in his diverse backstory of work and produced a unique state print portfolio. This portfolio of work, along with other connecting and significant works will be shown in Maitland, gathering the threads of his past and present to create a new conversation between times, places, and cultures.

Robert speaks generously of his family. Of the history and linkages in what is not only a personal but a significant national story. He says, ‘My grandmother spoke seven languages fluently. She spoke her father’s language that you’ll see within this work. It’s about Afghans and pioneers and Cameleers who played part of that early opening the north to the south and the south to the north.’

‘It’s about assimilation. It’s about slavery. It’s about belief. And do you know what you learn from this? You acknowledge it. You acknowledge that you cannot live through the eyes of your forefathers. So, one has learned to forgive.’

All these stories play out in

this body of work. The act of printing has an urgency and immediacy about it.

A pamphlet becomes a paste-up that then makes its way onto a printing press in Naarm and a photograph developed under the sun gets reprinted and worked over, screen-printed. A car in the desert on the road to Indulkana gets painted then photographed at night then sent to the tip, pressed into a cube, and presented as a dice on the floor of a building on Wonnarua Country. Tins that once held rations of tea, sugar and flour become the subject and the object of a powerful series of sculptures and prints.

And from a remote community in the heart of this continent, Robert continues to innovate – he is compelled to experiment. ‘I love breaking boundaries,’ he says. ‘I love inventing with the right and the left and the left and the right. I’m inspired by two artists and whether it’s photography, painting, text. Chuck Close and Rosalie Gascoigne are where my inspiration and drive comes within my art. I want to create something that is unique.’

For Robert, the work is also about respect. ‘It’s about holding onto

belief,’ he says. ‘And that runs across everything. This is about Tjukurpa Handle It. I can’t even handle myself sometimes, you know, because you have so many feelings and emotions towards daily routines and daily life. We are all affected by our kinship, our relationships, our connection, our success, our highs, our lows, our rejections. But this work tells us don’t ever let go of that light, that candle of what Mimili is all about. Tjukurpa. Maku. Iwiri. The roots of this community.’

Robert Fielding, Tjukurpa

Handle It will be on exhibition 9 November 2024 – 9 March 2025.

Gerry Bobsien, Gallery Director

i Conversation between Robert Fielding and the author at Mimili Maku Arts, December 2023.

ii Tjukurpa – handle it! In Conversation: Robert Fielding and Angus Webb with Dr Lisa Slade, 1 December 2023 Issue 43:3 Indigenous_Working Voices

iii Conversation between Robert Fielding and the author at Mimili Maku Arts, December 2023.

Robert Fielding. Photo: Meg Hansen Photography.

CATHERINE KINGSMILL

Catherine Kingsmill, Memory Collective (Part One): Felicity, Mavis, Tara, Tory and Vicki (installation view).

MAITLAND ARTIST CATHERINE KINGSMILL EXPLORES

LOCAL HISTORY AND IDENTITY THROUGH SCULPTURAL NARRATIVES.

Rooted in the socio-cultural tapestry of Maitland, Memory Collective (Part One): Felicity, Mavis, Tara, Tory and Vicki re-tells the stories of five notable women who have shaped the local community.

Resonating with themes of First Nations culture and heritage, local industry, and education – each work is imbued with its own narrative. The title of Kingsmill’s works, Felicity, Mavis, Tara, Tory and Vicki, are also the namesakes of the women’s stories she aims to highlight in this exhibition. Felicity Thomson, Mavis Cribb, Tara Dever, Tory Clancy, and Vicki Woods –five women who have made significant contributions to the fabric of Maitland, and whose stories serve as a testament to the patchwork quilt-like interconnectedness of Maitland’s history from pre-settlement to the present day.

The high-visibility mining shirt constructed of local coal in Felicity highlights Felicity Thomson’s career in the mining industry, but this work also focuses on her contributions to counselling, volunteer firefighting, philanthropy, and biodynamic farming within the local community.

In Mavis, old book pages of deaccessioned Maitland City Council Library books signify Mavis Cribb’s long service to the local libraries of the Hunter region. Most notably, her appointment as Librarian in Chief at the Maitland Library for thirty years.

Tara aims to draw attention to Tara Dever, the Chief Executive Officer of Mindaribba Local Aboriginal Land Council, and her continued advocacy for local First Nations people. The silhouette of an indigenous possum skin cloak and her use of materials including local and domestic seed pods, oyster shells, fish bones, and river stones, bind Tara’s story to that of the Wonnarua people.

Oyster and scallop shells dominate the silhouette of Tory – a work that highlights the achievements of Tory Clancy – a local businesswoman who, along with her husband and young son, own and operate an intimate carbon-neutral seafood restaurant which operates as a destination

for cross generational interaction in Maitland.

Vicki Woods, a notable local hotelier, wine educator, and benefactor who initiated the Brenda Clouten Scholarship – an emerging art prize that has shaped the careers of local artists for the last nine years – she was also a Maitland City Councillor and has donated to medical research. Her namesake work, Vicki has been constructed of used wine and champagne corks to symbolise her commitment to the hospitality industry.

By delving into archival records and collaborating with the local community, Kingsmill navigates the corridors of Maitland’s history, illuminating forgotten narratives and overlooked voices. By celebrating the diverse stories of Maitland’s past and present, Catherine Kingsmill’s work serves as a reminder of the power of art to illuminate, connect, and inspire, and to remind us that the threads which enable future generations were spun in the past.

Joey Hespe, Arts Writer

28 NEW ACQUISITIONS

The Maitland Regional Art Gallery Collection is diverse with over 8000 works of art. This collection is the culmination of over sixty years of curatorship, care and collecting – with many significant acquisitions coming into the collection as donations made by generous benefactors.

One very special supporter is philanthropist, art collector and MRAG Patron, Patrick Corrigan AM. Corrigan is a strong believer that art should be shared, and his various collections have been on loan and on display across

Dani Marti, Nude (after Teresa), 2022, Ostrich feathers, powder coated aluminium. Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by Dani Marti, 2024.

Australian institutions, universities, and art galleries. Many of his collections have been permanently donated to museums, galleries, archives and libraries, extending access to these items to the Australian public for years to come.

MRAG has been privileged to be the recipient of Pat Corrigan’s generosity since 2005 with donations spanning all mediums including drawings, paintings, collage, prints and sculpture. Recently he made a large donation to the MRAG Collection of works from his contemporary photography collection. These photographs span years of work by twenty-two of Australia’s most respected artists. Such a donation has extended the scale of MRAG’s contemporary photography collection and the scope for some dynamic exhibitions in the future. This donation was made by Patrick Corrigan in 2023 through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program.

One of our treasured artists of the region, Dani Marti, is also a generous supporter of MRAG and the MRAG Collection. This year we were delighted to accept his donation of a major work by this renowned artist, the beautiful feather installation, Nude (after Teresa), 2022. This work is an experiential portrait of the artist’s friend, Catalan fashion designer Teresa Helbig and represents the artist’s use of material to express the essence of his subject. This imposing, yet delicate curtain of ostrich feathers featured in the 2022 MRAG exhibition, Dani Marti - Oh Canola!

Another recent and significant acquisition to the collection is the iconic suspended stone installation, Zone of Wistful Thoughts, 1984, by acclaimed Australian artist Ken Unsworth who donated this work to the MRAG Collection in November 2023. Ken Unsworth is undoubtedly one of Australia’s most innovative artists working across painting,

sculpture, performance, installation and land art, over a career spanning more than six decades.

Zone of Wistful Thoughts is one of the artist’s kinetic works or ‘animated installations’ that he produced in the 1980s.

This installation consists of seven large river stones individually suspended on wires. Attached to the wire above each stone is a motorised timber propeller blowing across a black silk banner. The fluttering banners suggesting forward motion flight; however, the weight of the stones inhibit anything more than a slow turn in space. As Anthony Bond concludes, ‘works such as this are like a visual representation of the artist’s feelings of repetition, circularity, and entrapment as experienced during his childhood.’*

Cheryl Farrell, Collection Management Curator

* Anthony Bond, Ken Unsworth, 2018, Dott Publishing, p.173

ROB MARTINEZ & TIM MIZZI

My Meet a Member assignment for this edition of Artel takes me into the heart of old Maitland, to The Hermitage, one of the city’s finest historic homes. Built in 1889, this grand Victorian pile sits only a stone’s throw from the New England Highway and the railway line, yet once I’m through the front gates and past the two imposing Moreton Bay figs that guard the entrance to the driveway, I feel like I have entered another world. At the front door I am met by Rob Martinez, one half of the couple who are now the proud owners of this piece of Maitland’s architectural heritage.

It’s a chilly June morning, and Rob quickly ushers me into one of the large downstairs rooms where in moments I am settled on a comfortable leather Chesterfield, warming my hands by the fire, and being greeted most enthusiastically by a pair of charming Italian Greyhounds, Lorenzo, and Lolita. To my right stands a large, lavishly decorated Christmas tree, its presence

mid-year perhaps testimony to the busy lives of my hosts. Tim Mizzi soon joins us, cup of coffee in hand, and for the next hour and a half these engaging young men are telling me their life stories!

Tim and Rob became members of MRAG’s 2320 Collectors Club last year, and while both are art-lovers, membership for them was primarily a way of supporting the local community. Having moved to Maitland from Port Stephens in 2022, as new residents and busy health professionals they were keen to meet people out of the workplace. Both Tim and Rob originally hail from regional New South Wales and are no strangers to the value of community connection.

Tim, an identical twin, grew up in Bathurst in a family where the importance of science, art and culture was actively encouraged. He completed his Bachelor of Pharmacy at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga and after graduating worked in towns throughout the Central West. Rob spent his

In each issue of Artel, we introduce you to one of our members and for this issue we profile Rob Martinez & Tim Mizzi who moved to Maitland from Port Stephens in 2022.

childhood in Lightning Ridge, and whilst still at school there he was employed at the John Murray Art Gallery, doing odd jobs. He studied for his Bachelor of Physiotherapy at the CSU campus in Orange, where he went on to work professionally with the Cerebral Palsy Alliance. With an urge to experience city life after years in the regions, Rob moved to Brisbane in 2012, but the ‘scene’ was not for him and after four months found himself back in Orange, couch-surfing with a friend who happened to be Tim’s dentist, and wishing he could meet that special someone with whom he could build a future. At the time Tim, who had been feeling pretty much the same way, happened to be working in Dubbo with one of Rob’s sisters who was a pharmacist there. Before long the two lonely hearts were introduced through these serendipitous connections and the rest, as they say, is history!

In 2017 Tim purchased the independent Capital Chemist pharmacy in Raymond Terrace and the couple made the move to the Port Stephens area. Rob’s practice, Raymond Terrace Therapy (RTT), operates out of the same premises. Passionate about

providing quality health services in remote regions, RTT’s sister company, Outback Therapy, continues to support the Lightning Ridge community and outlying areas. Rob’s pride in this band of allied health professionals is palpable as he relates how on several team-building exercises together at Lightning they all painted murals depicting native birds and flowers.

When The Hermitage appeared on the market in 2020, during the Covid lockdowns, and despite having built themselves a new home at Raymond Terrace, Tim and Rob could not resist the allure of this grand old property and soon found themselves ‘Creative Directors’ for its restoration. Painting the interior walls is all but finished, and we laughingly remark on just how much room there is now for hanging artworks.

Tim tells me he is particularly fond of landscapes of the Central West for nostalgic reasons, however they are both passionate about art and furnishings that are preloved, items with interesting histories, such as the Chesterfields in the lounge room which once graced legal chambers in Newcastle.

On a tour of the house, we ascend the grand staircase

to view a very special room which will mark the start of yet another adventure in Tim’s and Rob’s livesparenthood. The couple are excitedly awaiting the arrival of their first baby in midAugust and are currently in the throes of decorating the nursery, with Rob’s other sister, who teaches art back in Lightning Ridge, soon to visit and decorate one wall with an original mural.

We say our goodbyes and I wander back to my car, giving a wave to the groundsman who has been hard at work all morning. Landscaping the garden is also on the agenda for Tim and Rob, as is a recently approved extension to the house, but for now it’s one step at a time, and I can’t help but think it will be the patter of tiny steps that will soon be keeping them both even busier for some years to come! I drive away, happy in the thought that another of Maitland’s heritage buildings is in good hands, and that Tim and Rob have joined MRAG’s diverse and enthusiastic community of art lovers.

Jenny Hunter, Gallery Officer

Tim and Rob at MRAG viewing Ron Mueck’s, Pregnant woman, 2002

ARTEL

32 THE YOUNG ARCHITECTS

EJE Architects Director Holly Nyquist worked closely with Maitland Regional Art Gallery Director Gerry Bobsien to establish the monthly Young Architects program at MRAG. This program was conceived years before by renowned architects Brian Suters and Glenn Murcutt and generously reinvigorated here at MRAG. The program is targeted towards young people, 12 – 16 years, and is an introduction to key components of making the built environment while considering the wider

concepts of culture, ecology, sustainability, and housing in a playful, fun class.

Artist Jen Denzin has led the facilitation of the program each month along with a guest architect from EJE. The sessions embrace the creative possibilities of an artist and architect working together with a different focus. The program covered topics like; What is a wall? conceptual challenges in architecture, the art of drawing ideas, how to draw like an architect, structural design, urban planning and wayfaring.

A big thanks to the EJE team including Chalyse Fowler, Andrew Alley, Candace Garraway, Sophie McCarthy, Josh Evans, Teodora Jokanovic and Joanne Hanon.

Alex Morris, MRAG’s Education Programs Lead, interviewed two dedicated Young Architects Lilly and Henry to ask them about their experience of The Young Architects program.

If you would like to know how to get involved contact the gallery and we can sign you or your young architect up!

What was it about The Young Architect’s program that interested you to try the first workshop?

Lilly: Being an artist and making things!

Henry: I’ve had an interest in architecture for quite a while now. Since Year Four, because we did these home design projects. I really enjoyed it, and I want to keep doing them. So, I came here.

What have you enjoyed most about the program?

Lilly: Getting to see the architects and making stuff.

Henry: Doing floor plans and building models – I found it interesting,

it sparked something in me. I like designing stuff.

How do you think the workshop would be different if there wasn’t an architect involved?

Lilly: It would be very hard to understand. Hard too for people to figure out what they were doing. They make it easy when they explain things.

How do you think the workshop would be different if there wasn’t an artist involved?

Henry: It wouldn’t be as creative. There’s not really anyone to say that this is art, you can do whatever you want?

If you were creating a commercial for young people to try to get them to sign up for a Young Architects workshop, what would you tell them?

Henry: It’s fun! You are given a challenge, and you can do whatever you want with it.

Both Lilly and Henry agree that the program is FUN with challenges you can explore in your own way using creative problem solving.

Thank you to EJE for supporting The Young Architects program.

Michelle Maartensz, Audience Programs Lead

The Young Architects, June 2024 Photo: Newy Digital

BARBARA NANSHE

Maitland Regional Art Gallery Store

This season, we welcome a new range of jewellery by Newcastle-based Barbara Nanshe to our Store and we are revelling in the joy of discovering newfound treasure. As an artist whose environmental footprint is at the core of her practice, using a mix of high quality found objects, ethically sourced recycled metals and precious stones means each piece is unique, quirky, and often layered with unexpected meaning.

In a recent conversation with Nanshe, I was reminded of the importance of connection and why we are pulled to certain artworks over others. Intuitively embedded into each small sculpture is story upon story. There is the story she tells by selecting, moulding, casting, polishing each piece into wearable works but then there are also the stories that are already embedded in the materials themselves. A small piece of fine bone china for example, polished

and set, immediately conjures memories of sitting at my grandmother’s table. I can almost see the plate on the table – and could see my grandmother serving afternoon tea on that plate. For many of us, the feeling or memory evoked is enough to want to wear that special something, always. Beyond sentimentality, however, lies profound motivation.

Materials and sustainability are important contemporary issues facing us today. The materials we use shine a spotlight on our beliefs. I think as contemporary artists we have an obligation to consider the source of materials used in our work. Our contemporary ideas should be based on choosing sustainable and ethically sourced materials. This is part of a bigger conversation of course, but for Nanshe, and many more of the artists stocked in our Store this is front of mind when creating.

BARBARA NANSHE

Conscious creativity is in no short supply and in many ways informs what to expect as we launch into Spring/ Summer. Nature, and more specifically birds, leads our retail story for the festive season. Nanshe, along with many other makers, has produced a beautiful range of jewellery, ceramics and paintings celebrating birdlife. So pop into the Store and while away some time dreaming up gift ideas and shopping for those nearest and dearest.

Tis’ the season after all!

Ashley Grant Merchandise Officer

MRAG Members receive 10% off and complementary gift wrapping in Store year-round.

Have you seen our new look Maitland Regional Art Gallery Store? We have a beautiful space that showcases and supports many small-scale artists, and of course the Gallery. Gifting has never been easier with Store Vouchers now available to purchase anywhere, anytime via our website.

Cottage Garden pendant in sterling silver and copper with late 1800s pottery shard by Barb Nanshe.

NEWS FOR MEMBERS

Behind the Scenes: Newcastle Art Space

2.00PM, SATURDAY 12 OCTOBER 2024

Enjoy a glass a wine and nibbles with other MRAG members for a behind the scenes visit to Newcastle Art Space. Enjoy a guided tour of the current exhibition and explore the studios of local artists.

Contact MRAG or visit the website to book your spot at these members events.

Acknowledgements

MRAG would like to acknowledge the passing of long-time member and patron of the Gallery, Sue Hewitt. Sue was the former head of Christie’s Australia and a towering figure in the Australian art scene. She was a close friend and supporter to the Gallery and will be remembered for her kindness and generosity. As a gesture of her patronage, Sue asked for donations to be made to her favourite gallery, MRAG, in lieu of flowers.

MRAG Members tour to the studio of Newcastle artists, Lottie Consalvo and James Drinkwater.

BECOME A MEMBER OF MAITLAND REGIONAL ART GALLERY

Your membership supports free and accessible programs for all ages, and gives you access to an exclusive annual program of events and member benefits.

MEMBERSHIP 1 YEAR 3 YEARS

*child/student/pensioner

GIVE GALLERY MEMBERSHIP AS A GIFT!

When you purchase a gift membership online the recipient of the gift will receive an email including their membership details and your personalised message.

To become a member, renew your membership, or for a full list of benefits, head to mrag.org.au/become-a-member

38 PARTNERSHIP

Boydell’s Wines Partnership with Maitland Regional Art Gallery

As a proud family business with deep roots in the Hunter Valley, Boydell’s Wines and the Maroulis family are thrilled to join the Maitland Regional Art Gallery community as their major wine sponsor.

At Boydell’s, our values of quality, innovation, and community are woven into the fabric of our brand. Our team includes talented artists, and we collaborate with local creatives to design our wine labels and visual storytelling. These collaborations enrich our brand and ensure that every bottle of Boydell’s wine is a testament to our commitment to excellence and artistic expression. We cherish the land and the vibrant communities that make up Australian country towns.

At Boydell’s, we are privileged to combine our passions for farming and winemaking, raising our family in this idyllic setting. The joy of bringing

people together over good food and wine is at the heart of what we do.

We invite you to experience our wines at our beautiful Cellar Door and Restaurant in the historic village of Morpeth. Discover the essence of Boydell’s and share in our love for exceptional wine and heartfelt hospitality. Come and find us – you won’t regret it.

MRAG Collection Book, Shared

Our collection continues to grow through new acquisitions and wonderful benefactors. In 2023, we launched our new publication highlighting work in the collection, aptly titled, Shared.

From historical treasures to art that fills our minds with a sense of place and wonder, this book captures the spirit of Maitland Regional Art Gallery’s collection in all its many forms.

Sharing this collection gives us the opportunity to ignite conversations, inspire young artists and generate pure joy and delight for curious minds.

AVAILABLE AT THE MRAG STORE $20.00

Photo: Leighsa Cox

Portraits and painted dragons, landscapes constructed, abstracted, surreal and serene, discarded toys and a cloud shaded mantle clock. More than 100 drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures, created by some of Australia’s most significant artists, have been acquired into the Gallery’s Collection in the last few months. Valued at more $100K these artworks have been donated to the Maitland Regional Art Gallery Collection by artists and private collectors, signifying the respect that our Collection holds across the art community and adding significantly to the vibrancy and depth of our Collection.

SOCIAL GALLERY 41

Photography: Leighsa Cox

SCHOOL HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS

CLAY CHARACTER WORKSHOP

SOCIAL GALLERY 43

Photography: Leighsa Cox

EXHIBITIONS

22 JUN — 06 OCT 2024

Old Stories New Magic

Michelle Gearin

Linde Ivimey

Naomi Kantjurinyi

Adam Lee

Sarker Protick

Julia Robinson

Heather B. Swann

Old Stories New Magic brings together seven artists who draw from the deep and ancient well of the real and the mythic. This is an exhibition that embraces old stories and explores our longing and fascination with other worlds and beings, the dreamy sub-conscious and the long-lasting presence of the ancient.

15 JUN — 22 SEP 2024

Hold

Brittany Ferns

Megan McGee

Vessels have a long and varied history; they are both decorative and practical and are often signifiers of time and place. In this exhibition, Newcastle based artists, Brittany Ferns (paintings) and Megan McGee (ceramics) embrace the notion that the vessel has a presence, and its presence exists to accommodate the presence of something else.

22 JUN — 27 OCT 2024 Memory

Collective

Catherine Kingsmill

Rooted in the socio-cultural tapestry of Maitland, Catherine Kingsmill’s sculptures serve as vessels of memory, narrating the stories of individuals who have shaped the local community. Drawing inspiration from an array of notable women, Kingsmill’s work delves into the intricate intersections of First Nations culture, local industry, environmental consciousness, and feminism.

Michelle Gearin, Metamorphosis (detail), 2023-2024, mixed media (installation view)

Photo: Leighsa Cox

Catherine Kingsmill, Memory Collective (Part One): Felicity, Mavis, Tara, Tory and Vicki (installation view). Photo: Leighsa Cox

Hold: Brittany Ferns, Megan McGee (installation view). Photo: Leighsa Cox

29 JUN — 27 OCT 2024

Lineage

Sophie Cape

Kevin Connor

Elisabeth Cummings

Stephen Lopes

Euan MacLeod

Ann Thomson

Shonah Trescott

Guy Warren

Lineage invites the viewer on a journey through the captivating dialogue of eight distinct creative voices, each individually contributing to a shared narrative of artistic heritage. As we traverse the generational spectrum, Lineage offers a glimpse into the influences, transformations, and enduring themes that help shape the ongoing evolution of contemporary art.

06 JUL — 13 OCT 2024

POWER — The Future is Here

Dennis Golding

PROMOTIONAL GUIDELINES

POWER – The Future is Here is the result of a collaboration between artist Dennis Golding and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from Alexandria Park Community School. As superheroes, Golding and his young collaborators are empowered and reminded of the strength of their culture in forming their identity and connection to Country.

06 JUL — 29 SEP 2024

A GARDEN OF PARALLEL PATHS

Daniel Crooks

Daniel Crooks is a careful observer of the everyday, and across his videos, photographs and installations he is consistently exploring the use of ‘time’ as a material.

In A Garden of Parallel Paths, the narrow laneways and streetscapes of innercity Melbourne are the subject for this exploration. Spacial dimensions are merged, creating an interconnected ‘otherworld’ of laneways, with time slowed to emphasise the rhythm of pedestrian life.

This work is a recent acquisition to the MRAG Collection, generously donated by Julian and Stephanie Grose through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program in 2023.

Euan McLeod, Climber with twin shadows (detail), 2023, oil poly, 53.5 x 67cm

Daniel Crooks, A Garden of Parallel Paths (detail), 2012. DVD, single-channel HD colour moving image with sound. Maitland Regional Art Gallery Collection.

Dennis Golding, The Future is Here, 2021, installation at Carriageworks. Image courtesy and © the artist. Photo: Zan Wimberley.

A Solid Ground project with Dennis Golding and Alexandria Park Community School, curated by Kyra Kum-Sing, presented by Carriageworks and Blacktown Arts, and touring with Museums & Galleries of NSW. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government’s Visions of Australia program.

COMING SOON

15 OCT — 27 OCT 2024

The Infinite Moment SUNBIIRDS

The infinite moment is an opportunity to experience an immersive blend of guitar and captured environmental sounds performed and mixed by the instrumental collective of musicians known as the Sunbiirds.

Transforming the Project gallery space adjacent to Seraphine Cafe into a music studio, the Sunbiirds invite visitors to drop in on their working sessions as they mix and play with sounds. Visitors are invited to take a seat or lay on the floor and relax into the sounds and space.

There will be three separate sessions across the 12 days culminating in an all immersive visual and sound event in the early evening of Saturday 26 October 2024. EXHIBITIONS

28 SEP 2024 — 02 FEB 2025

The Foundations Are Shifting Beneath

Anna Horne

South Australian artist Anna Horne uses unlikely materials expertly to create curious and tactile sculptural forms. In this intimate exhibition, she explores the very human qualities of strength and vulnerability and our quest for ‘home’ and stability in an environment that seems to be ever-changing.

12 OCT 2024 — 16 FEB 2025

Twitcher

Join us as we celebrate the natural world with an exhibition dedicated to art and birds. We’ve brought together contemporary artists from across Australia who feature birds in many forms across their work. Scheduled to coincide with the great Aussie Bird Count 2024, Twitcher will delight everyone as we pop on the binoculars and go all in for a summer season of creative birdwatching.

Viktor Baskin - Sunbiirds performing live at Brett Piva’s exhibition Epitomes Shared from a V Bottom Tinnie, Onwards Gallery, 7 October, 2023

Anna Horne, Leaning Into It, 2023, concrete, rope, steel frame and paint, 31 x 17 x 23 cm. Photo: Sam Roberts.

Michelle Crawthorn, Kimberly (detail), 2021

COMING SOON

09 NOV 2024 — 02 MAR 2025

Bodywork

From the Maitland Regional Art Gallery Collection

Bodywork is a celebration of flesh, bones and the mechanics that make up the wonder of the human form. Explore art that brings bodies to life as we present works from the MRAG Collection alongside the monumental form of Ron Mueck’s Pregnant woman, 2002, in all her anatomical glory.

09 NOV 2024 — 09 MAR 2025

Tjukurpa Handle It

Robert Fielding

Robert Fielding places his ancestry (Afghan, Western Arrente and Yankunytjatjara), at the heart of all he does. Living and working in Mimili Community in the remote Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, Fielding continues to push the boundaries of central desert art. This exhibition will share for the first time, Fielding’s extensive print portfolio with an expansion of form through collaborations, works on paper, photography, painting and sculpture.

Julie Rrap, Windage (detail), 2004, pure pigment print on acid-free rag paper, 93.2 x 198.2cm, Maitland Regional Art Gallery Collection. Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by Nell and Kylie Kwong, 2020

Robert Fielding, AIM, 2023—2024, acrylic and aerosol paint on found paper, di-bond and packing tape, 84 × 59.5cm each, Photo: Meg Hansen.