Peter Cooley Terracotta October - 5 November
LIST OF WORKS
1. A Pair of King Parrots, 2022, terracotta, 62 x 26 x 20 cm each
2. A Trio of King Parrots and Angophoras, 2022, terracotta, 74 x 32 x 26 cm each
3. A Pair of King Parrot Plaques 1, 2021, terracotta, 52 x 42 cm each
4. Blue Mountains Crayfish at Leura Cascades 1, 2020, earthenware, 41 x 40 x 40 cm
5. Blue Swimmer Crab and Mangroves 1, 2020, earthenware, 22 x 61 x 40 cm
6. Blue Swimmer Crab and Mangroves Maquette, 2020, earthenware, 13 x 41 x 28 cm
7. A Pair of My Beautiful Laundrette Plaques, 2021, terracotta, 30 x 22 cm each
8. My Beautiful Laundrette 1, 2020, earthenware, 55 x 44 x 21 cm
9. Three Sisters from Leura and Katoomba Ewer, 2021, terracotta, 93 x 53 x 40 cm
10. Three Sisters from Leura and Katoomba Urn 6, 2022, terracotta, 73 x 35 x 32 cm
11. Three Sisters from Leura and Katoomba Urn 7, 2022, terracotta, 66 x 45 x 40 cm
12. Three Sisters from Leura and Katoomba Urn 8, 2022, terracotta, 69 x 41 x 37 cm
13. Three Sisters from Leura and Katoomba Urn 9, 2022, terracotta, 73 x 46 x 39 cm
14. Three Sisters from Leura Plaque 2, 2020/21, terracotta, 40 x 53 cm
15. Three Sisters Cups, 2021, terracotta, 17 x 13 x 9 cm each
© Martin Browne Contemporary
© All images copyright Peter Cooley
This catalogue is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission.
COMPILER: James Edwards
PHOTOGRAPHER: Jennifer Leahy
COLOUR SEPARATIONS: Spitting Image, Sydney
Cover Image: Three Sisters from Leura and Katoomba Urn 8, 2022, terracotta, 69 x 41 x 37 cm
Peter Cooley would like to acknowledge that the Blue Mountains is located within the Country of the Dharug and Gundungurra peoples
These new works refer to prehistoric terracottas, with their simple, elegant form and decoration, as well to as my own earlier works depicting Mt Warning.
Living in the Blue Mountains for the past 19 years, the escarpments around Katoomba and Leura are now embedded in my narrative. Fortuitously the shape of these prehistoric terracottas is also sympathetic to the depiction of the panoramas that are such a feature of the Blue Mountains. Hence a number of these new terracottas feature stylised views of the Three Sisters as if seen from a similar viewpoint but on either side i.e. from both Katoomba and Leura.
With several of these new works I’ve enjoyed creating the tension and balance that comes from pushing the handmade look almost to the point of collapse. The terracotta surface has an attractive gesso feel to it, being fairly permanent. But it is still painting on dirt!
The patterning results from eclectic influences: Hali – the international textile magazine - is a constant source of inspiration, as are memories from living in Paris with its African commercial galleries with their wealth of textiles, and favourite images from the works painted by Paul Klee on his trip to Tunisia in 1914.
- Peter Cooley, September 2022
Blue Mountains Crayfish at Leura Cascades 1, 2020, earthenware, 41 x 40 x 40 cm
Blue Swimmer Crab and Mangroves Maquette, 2020, earthenware,
Three Sisters from Leura and Katoomba Urn 6, 2022, terracotta, 73 x 35 x 32 cm
Three Sisters from Leura and Katoomba Urn 7, 2022, terracotta, 66 x 45 x 40 cm
Three Sisters from Leura and Katoomba Urn 8, 2022, terracotta, 69 x cm
Three Sisters from Leura and Katoomba Urn 9, 2022, terracotta, x cm
1956 Born Murwillumbah, Australia
1974-76 Diploma of Fine Art, Brisbane College of Art
1976-79 Diploma of Art, City Art Institute, Sydney
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022 Terracotta, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney
Peter Cooley, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2020 To Samarkand Via Leura Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney
2019 Peter Cooley, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2018 Environment, Colour, Tone, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney
2017 Journey – Melbourne to Leura 2003-2017 Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2015 Marsupial II Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney
2014 Marsupial Martin Browne Contemporary at Melbourne Art Fair
2013 Through the Archipelago II, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney
2012 Through the Archipelago, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney
2010 Peter Cooley - Recent Works, Gould Galleries, Melbourne
2010 Peter Cooley Ceramics, Ray Hughes Gallery, Sydney
2009 Where we know, with Toni Warburton, Wollongong City Gallery, Woolongong
2009 Focused, Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, Bathurst
2008 Peter Cooley: Mixture, Gould Galleries, Melbourne
2007 Peter Cooley, Ray Hughes Gallery, Sydney
2005 Peter Cooley, Gould Galleries, Melbourne
2005 Peter Cooley: Jamison Valley Panorama, Ray Hughes Gallery, Sydney
2005 Peter Cooley, Gould Galleries, Melbourne
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022 Birds & Busted Guts, HOTA, Gold Coast
2021 Clay Dynasty, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney Opening Exhibition, HOTA, Gold Coast
2019 Rococo Colonial, Hazelhurst, Bathurst and Lismore Regional Art Galleries
2018 Sydney Contemporary Scott Livesey Galleries Sydney
2018 Wild Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, NSW
2017 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, Woollahra, NSW
2017 Sydney Contemporary Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney
2017 From Nature, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney
2017 The Unflinching Glaze, Stephen Benwell & Peter Cooley works from the collection, Bathurst Regional Art Gallery
2016 Winter Group Show, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney
2016 Gold Coast International Ceramic Award Gold Coast Arts Centre, QLD
2015 Art Month Martin Browne Contemporary, NSW
2014 Sculpture Show Wangaratta Regional Gallery, VIC
2014 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, Woollahra, NSW
2013 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, Woollahra, NSW
2012 Picturing the Great Divide Blue Mountains Regional Gallery, NSW
2012 Animal Human, Univeristy of Queensland Art Museum, QLD
2009 Sylvania Waters, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery
2007 Pots of Paint, The Delmar Gallery, NSW
2006 Living Treasures, Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, NSW
2006 Director’s Choice, Gould Galleries, Melbourne, no. 18, illustrated
AWARDS AND RESIDENCIES
2014 Highly Commended, Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize
2010 Gold Coast International Ceramic Award
COLLECTIONS
Artbank
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery of South Australia
Art Gallery of Western Australia
Allens Collection
Bathurst Regional Art Gallery
British Museum
HOTA, Gold Coast City Gallery
Goulburn Regional Art Gallery
Macquarie Group
Mollison / Langford Collection
NRMA
John McBride Collection
Powerhouse Museum
National Gallery of Australia
National Gallery of Victoria
University of Queensland Art Museum
Wollongong City Gallery
Shepparton Art Museum