TWENTY ONE - Scott Livesey Galleries - 2021 by Scott Livesey Galleries

TWENTY ONE

VIPOO SRIVILASA R O U G E V E LV E T S M I L E , 2 0 2 1 ceramic, white glaze, gold lustre and red enamel 45 x 30 cm

Re d i s t h e c o l o u r o f e x t r e m e s . I t ’s t h e c o l o u r o f p a s s i o n a t e l o v e , s e d u c t i o n , v i o l e n c e , d a n g e r, a n g e r a n d a d v e n t u r e . Gold is the colour of success, achievement and triumph. It is a s s o c i a t e d w i t h w e a l t h , g r a n d e u r, a n d g l a m o u r.

It inspires

knowledge, spirituality and a deep understanding of the self and the soul. W h i t e i s t h e c o l o u r o f p u r i t y, s a f e t y a n d r e p r e s e n t s G o d d e s s . A s w h i t e l i g h t c o n t a i n s a l l t h e c o l o u r s o f t h e s p e c t r u m , i t ’s a n i n c l u s i v e , i m p a r t i a l c o l o u r, f a v o u r i n g n o s i n g l e h u e a n d r e f u s i n g t o t a k e s i d e s . A l l t h r e e c o l o u r s a r e r e p r e s e n t e d i n R O U G E V E LV E T S M I L E .

JULIA RITSON UNTITLED 21-06, 2021 oil on canvas 97 x 87 cm

In the works, graphic glitches and screen pixilation transform into w o r n m a s o n r y o r t h e i n t e r l o c k i n g f i b r e s o f t w e e d . We c a n s p o t a picnic in the park or a ballroom brimming with dancing guests, proximate plays of colour creating energy and movement as if every box contained within it a life-force. Each grid articulates a multitude of images, and it is for the viewer to decipher their own pictorial meaning. Often small in scale, the works draw the viewer into their micro worlds, beckoning us to stop for a moment and allow ourselves to surrender to the subjective, referential power of the grid. A r t i s t Pr o f i l e , 2 0 1 8

S T E FA N D U N L O P SPLASH III, 2020 oil on canvas 240 x 200 cm

This has been a breakthrough work for me. Being part of a new series of work based on a fragmentation of space, form, imagery and c o l o u r. A k i n d o f c o l l a g e p a i n t i n g t e c h n i q u e . T h e s e p a i n t i n g s really are ‘paintings about painting’ very formal in the sense that they are trying to solve problems of composition, space, form and c o l o u r. A n d I m u s t s a y t h e y a r e p r o c e s s b a s e d , t h e r e i s n o pre-conceived end point apart from the resolution of the work itself. I go into the studio and draw and use all of the imagery available to me, working and re-working, in this case for years, following the process.

JENNIFER RIDDLE E V O C AT I O N O F M E M O RY , 2 0 2 1 acrylic on linen 137.5 x 153 cm

When one slows to the pace of the landscape and aligns themselves to the gentle rhythms of nature, one may see, hear and feel a profound s e n s e o f c a l m a n d c l a r i t y, e v e n w h e n t h e l a n d i s s h r o u d e d i n t h e thickness of the fog. By aligning our senses with nature, our connection to the landscape deepens, and our mental and physical wellbeing enriched. T h r o u g h e m p i r i c a l o b s e r v a t i o n a n d m e m o r y, I d r a w u p o n t h e p l a c e s that have offered moments of stillness and beauty — a moment that has captured my gaze and heart, whilst slowing my mind, breath and internal rhythms to my surroundings...

RON FRANCIS MY OBSESSION, 2019 oil on canvas 120 x 90 cm

I work mostly from imagination, inventing scenes and trying to make them as real as I can. This causes me to study how things work in the natural world, particularly how light interacts with objects and environments, so I can more easily recreate it on canvas. Subjects vary considerably from one painting to the next, ranging from recreating past events or dreams, to comments about what I may find odd or ironic about things people do. M o s t o f t h e t i m e I e x a g g e r a t e a s c e n e , o f t e n u s i n g a l l e g o r y, t o t r y t o distil the essence of what I’m trying to express. It is common for the meaning to be an intangible feeling that I can’t express with words.

LUKE SCIBERRAS N O RT H FA C I N G - B E L L E Î L E , 2 0 1 8 oil on board 120 x 160 cm

Standing on the windswept cliff tops of Belle Île, just off the coast of B r i t t a n y, t h e a i r s w o o p s u p w a r d a n d a r o u n d y o u a n d g u s t s b u f f e t y o u but the sun warms your back. H a v i n g v i s i t e d t h e f o r m e r h o m e o f A u s t r a l i a n a r t i s t J o h n Pe t e r Ru s s e l l a n d s e e n t h e v e r y p l a c e s w h e r e h e p a i n t e d s o m e o f h i s m o s t iconic works, I was overwhelmed by the unmistakable beauty of this wild coastline. The plateaus of meadow and heath spill toward rocky escarpments and water is constantly surging and gouging around this sunlit island of France. How does one possibly paint the depth of the sea and the height of the cliffs at once? O n e c a n b u t t r y.

STEPHEN BIRD MAN BETWEEN THE TREES, 2020 glazed earthenware 56 x 32 x 28 cm

In many respects my work exemplifies the confusion of categories that now pervades the creative industries: in production, process and materiality they belong to the domain of craft, while the subversive c o n t e n t k e e p s t h i s c a t e g o r y a t a r m ’s l e n g t h . I u s e r e l a t i o n s h i p s o f s u r f a c e , f o r m , c o l o u r, l i n e a n d m a r k m a k i n g , ( t h e m a i n s t a y s o f t h e p a i n t e r ’s v o c a b u l a r y ) t o c r e a t e n a r r a t i v e s w h i c h e x p l o r e t r a n s g r e s s i v e t h e m e s s u c h a s c r u e l t y, w a r, n a t u r a l d i s a s t e r s , u n n a t u r a l a f f e c t i o n s and violent deaths. Using visual metaphors, scale, random inclusions and simultaneous juxtapositions, I reinterpret old myths and appropriate iconography from established English pottery traditions a s t i f f p a s t o r a l s c e n e f r o m S p o d e , a d e c o r a t i v e Ro y a l D o u l t o n t i l e , o r t h e c a b b a g e l e a f f r o m a We d g e w o o d W h i e l d o n t e a p o t . I b e l i e v e v i s u a l a r t i s a l l a b o u t h u m a n i t y ’s r e l a t i o n s t o o b j e c t s a n d I w i s h a b o v e a l l t o invoke the emotional connections which are felt towards things that have been made by hand with love.

PA U L W H I T E A P O C A LY P T I C B R E A K D O W N (SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW), 2020 pencil on paper 140 x 100 cm

I am interested in car culture and this image reminded me of post apocalyptic movies such as Mad Max, or Death Race 2000, where the vehicle acts as a mode of survival. More specifically the van is reminiscent of the Scooby Doo mystery machine, the A team van and c u s t o m v a n s o f t h e 1 9 7 0 ’s w h e r e t h e s e u t i l i t y v e h i c l e s a r e transformed into dream machines. Apocalyptic breakdown (Somewhere over the rainbow), comes from a photo that I took on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles many years ago. This particular van reveals layers of time through its build up of flotsam and jetsam and many layers of paint and remnant signage. Its survival and the act of its personal modifications suggest a hope for the future. W i n n e r , I n a u g u r a l I A S F i n e A r t / A r t e c h We L o v e A r t Pr i z e , 2 0 2 1

D I C K W AT K I N S FA R C RY ( E R I C D O L P H Y ) , 2 0 0 7 acrylic on canvas 152.5 x 213.5 cm

Wa t k i n s ’s w o r k s d e c l a r e t h e a c t o f p a i n t i n g r a t h e r t h a n t h e s k i l l o f observation that was prized in older painting traditions. A painting by Wa t k i n s c o m m u n i c a t e s i t s p h y s i c a l i t y. I t s c h a r g e d s u r f a c e s p r o c l a i m the complex choreography of body and visual language and the act of painting. The scale of the geometry and gesture signal the reach a n d p o w e r o f t h e a r t i s t ’s e y e a n d w r i s t , a r m a n d b o d y, t h e p u l l o f the brush, the weight of paint, the chance and psychology of colour interaction. Despite the sweep and rigour of his mark making Wa t k i n s i n v a r i a b l y i m p o s e s e m o t i v e o r d e r, d e f t l y a n c h o r i n g t h e p o w e r f u l c o n t a i n e d e n e r g y. Wa t k i n s p l a y s m u s i c w h i l e h e p a i n t s . Ve r y l o u d l y. T h e i m p r o v i s a t i o n , s y n c o p a t i o n a n d c o n t r a p u n c t a l r h y t h m o f jazz is translated into form a distillation of innate essential rhythms. Barbara Dowse, 2004

AMELDA READ FORSYTHE 12 MONTHS OF FLOWERS: SEPTEMBER, 2020 oil on board 100 x 80 cm

I n s p i r e d b y t h e w o r k o f Ro b e r t F u r b e r ’s ( 1 6 7 4 - 1 7 6 5 ) e t c h e d s e r i e s Tw e l v e M o n t h s o f F l o w e r s , I e x p l o r e t h e n o t i o n t h a t i d e a s , l i k e e n e r g y, n e v e r d i e , i n s t e a d j u s t s h u f f l e t h e i r o n c e - p o s i t i o n i n t o a different arrangement. In my series of twelve paintings, by the same name, I include some of Casteels’ European flowers, interspersed with Australian indigenous plants and newly discovered species from around the world, each bloom in the specific month that I ‘arrange’ them within. W i t h a n i n t e r e s t i n t h e o r i e s s u c h a s F o u c a u l t ’s H i s t o r i c a l S y s t e m s o f Thought, I endeavour to navigate through and repurpose visual history derived from enlightenment thinking and enquire into that unsettled space between propositional ideas and imbedded beliefs. By making and realising paintings I consider the appearance, demise and reformation of ideas, as contained within visual artefacts, and propose my own arrangements of newly formed, unsettled configurations. F u r b e r a d a p t e d t h e p a i n t i n g s o f Pi e t e r C a s t e e l s I I I ( 1 6 8 4 - 1 7 4 9 ) i n o r d e r to make a series of etchings that would serve to sell seeds. I have taken cues from the historical roles of drawing and printmaking to concretise and disseminate one way of knowing the world, and invent a painting process employing brush and rag accrual and removal of paint that asserts the painted mark as neither quite painted, nor drawn or p r i n t e d , b u t s o m e h o w, o f a l l t h r e e m o d a l i t i e s a t o n c e . The paintings are propositional moments of congregation - new and old, here and there - now found in one painted place and altogether making something worthwhile of their current assemblage.

JOSHUA YELDHAM TA M I YA O W L , 2 0 1 9 acrylic on hand carved paper 201 x 201 cm

W h e n I w a s a k i d I b u i l t m a n y Ta m i y a m o d e l k i t s . T h e t y p e o f construction where you twist out the parts and glue them together (and sometimes your fingers) -

I loved my Spitfire Mk.1 plane that I

hung with fishing line from the ceiling. In my large paper work, I have created a framework that with some imagination will pull apart and build an Owl. The eyes, wings and c l a w s j o i n t h e o w l ’s b o d y - a m o d e l o f f e r t i l i t y f o r p r o t e c t i o n .

VA N E S S A S TO C K A R D MCLEAN, 2019 oil on board 84 x 79 cm

EXHIBITED: A r c h i b a l d P r i z e , A G N S W , S y d n e y, 1 1 M a y - 8 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 9 A r c h i b a l d Pr i z e Re g i o n a l To u r d a t e s : Bank Art Museum Moree / 1 June 2020 - 26 Jul 2020 B a t h u r s t Re g i o n a l A r t G a l l e r y

/ 14 Aug 2020 - 11 Oct 2020

C o f f s H a r b o u r Re g i o n a l A r t G a l l e r y / 2 2 J a n 2 0 2 1 - 6 M a r 2 0 2 1 Va n e s s a S t o c k a r d ’s s u b j e c t i s a r t i s t M c L e a n E d w a r d s , a r e n o w n e d , i d i o s y n c r a t i c f i g u r a t i v e p a i n t e r w h o h a s b e e n a n A r c h i b a l d Pr i z e finalist himself on five occasions. One of those paintings depicted Cate Blanchett, who collects his w o r k . E d w a r d s h a s a l s o b e e n t h e s u b j e c t o f s e v e r a l A r c h i b a l d Pr i z e portraits painted by different artists. Stockard says that ‘the fascinating range of Edwards’ work’ took her s o m e t i m e t o g e t t o g r i p s w i t h . ‘ I ’ v e k n o w n a n d a d m i r e d M c L e a n ’s work for 20 years and found his dark yet playful portraits reflect the intellect and sensitivity contained within the man himself.

G E O R G E T J U N G U R R AY I M A M U LT J U L K U L N G A , 2 0 1 9 P a p u n y a Tu l a A r t i s t s c a t . G T 1 9 1 2 0 3 3 acrylic on Belgian linen 91 x 122 cm

This painting relates to the clay pan site known as Mamultjulkulnga, on the western side of Wilkinkarra (Lake Mackay). Mamultjulkulnga is of great importance to the artist as his father passed away at this site. After rain this claypan becomes a large shallow freshwater lake, which provides ideal conditions for the prolific growth of the small f l e s h y s u b - s h r u b Te c t i c o r n i a v e r r u c o s a , k n o w i n Pi n t u p i a s m u n g i l y p a . I n a n c e s t r a l t i m e s t w o Ti n g a r i M e n o f t h e T j u n g u r r a y i a n d T j a p a l t j a r r i kinship subsections camped at this site and gathered mungilypa. The seeds from this plant are ground into a paste which is then cooked in the coals to form a type of unleavened bread. S i n c e e v e n t s a s s o c i a t e w i t h t h e Ti n g a r i C y c l e a r e o f a s e c r e t n a t u r e n o f u r t h e r d e t a i l w a s g i v e n . G e n e r a l l y, t h e Ti n g a r i a r e a g r o u p o f ancestral beings of the Dreaming who travelled over vast stretches of t h e c o u n t r y, p e r f o r m i n g r i t u a l s a n d c r e a t i n g a n d s h a p i n g p a r t i c u l a r s i t e s . T h e Ti n g a r i m e n w e r e u s u a l l y f o l l o w e d b y Ti n g a r i w o m e n a n d were accompanied by novices, and their travels and adventures are enshrined in a number of song cycles. These ancestral stories form part of the teachings of the post initiatory youths today as well as providing explanations for contemporary customs.

J A M E S S M E AT O N OCEAN TEMPLE, 2020 acrylic on canvas 130 x 120 cm

I n v i s i b l e w a v e s o f e n e r g y p u l s e t h r o u g h J a m e s S m e a t o n ’s p a i n t i n g s , taking shape in rhythmic brushstrokes that coalesce into the forms and undulations of water and the crisp delineations of coastal views a n d e s c a r p m e n t s . B y S m e a t o n ’s a c c o u n t t h e s e p i c t o r i a l e l e m e n t s a r e anything but intentional; they emerge from experiences that begin with locality but are distilled in studio-based sessions. What is revealed are performative processes in which the endeavour is to connect with universal forces and to channel those energies into the material properties of paint and brushwork on canvas. The energies of which we speak are the reverberations and patterns that both animate and shape our existence but are also beyond our capacity to control. That they appear most readily in the ceaseless gyrations of the ocean is a clue to the more subtle rhythms and beats that pulse throughout creation, and may also account for our i n t i m a t i o n s t h a t w e a r e b o u n d e d a n d s h a p e d b y t h e i r f l o w. F u r t h e r still they are the invisible syncopations that form linkages between bodies that are seemingly distant in space and time. Sympathetic frequencies are but one of the modes of connection, v e r y o f t e n l i n g e r i n g w e l l a f t e r i n i t i a l e n c o u n t e r. T h e a r t i s t i n h a b i t s those moments and on returning to the studio, finds that experiences, such as those enjoyed on the shorelines of Java, remain embodied and potent. Damian Smith

J O H N PA S TO R I Z A P I Ñ O L SOBRIQUET 9 - ARSE, 2019 watercolour on Arches 300gsm paper 20 x 15 cm

‘The wearer should fit the leather not the leather fit the wearer’. In a homoerotic male context, wearing black leather clothing is a s e x u a l s e l f - e x p r e s s i o n o f h e i g h t e n e d m a s c u l i n i t y, s e x u a l p o w e r a n d a n engagement in fetishism. The leather subculture denotes practices and styles of dress organised around sexual activities that involve a wide range of l e a t h e r g a r m e n t s . We a r i n g l e a t h e r i s o n e w a y t h e i n d i v i d u a l s consciously distinguish themselves from mainstream sexual cultures, where most associate the gay leather subculture with BDSM and flamboyant declarations of audacious individuals... These current works appear monochromatic but the black is achieved by using many different colours - primarily quinacridones and perylenes - which offer subtle changes in hue and warm and cool tones... Amanda Ahmed, 2019

AARON KINNANE T H E L U C K Y C O U N T RY , 2 0 2 1 oil on linen 72 x 192 cm

T h e r e i s a m y t h i c q u a l i t y t o A a r o n Ki n n a n e ’s l a n d s c a p e s - t h e y a r e his mediations about the land - they are not stated, they are suggested, leaving us to make our own imaginings about time and p l a c e . T h e L u c k y C o u n t r y i s a p i v o t a l w o r k i n h i s c a r e e r, a continuation of his method and skilful use of knife and palette, while containing a deliberation and delicacy that is delightful on this scale. This has to do with the sense of place. Human presence is hinted at, not expressed, enhancing the sense of wilderness. There is an overarching sense of the power of creation, in which Man is token. Ki n n a n e ’s e n e r g y i n a p p l y i n g p a i n t t o t h e c a n v a s d e l i v e r s t h a t s a m e energy to the superficially tranquil landscape, as if nature, while quiescent, is poised to unleash forces that are far less benign than what we see. There is a dynamic tension between a delightful astoral, and an underlying sense of disquiet… Julian Beaumont, 2021

L I LY M A E M A RT I N INEXORABLE, 2017 ink on cotton paper 105 x 75 cm

As an artist, I have always been interested in exploring r e p r e s e n t a t i o n s o f f e m i n i n i t y, f e m a l e n e s s , a n d t h e f e m a l e b o d y i n m y work. One of the primary preoccupations of my work to date has been t h e i n t e r n a l w o r l d o f w o m e n a s c o m m u n i c a t e d b y t h e b o d y. T h i s i s i n part a response to contemporary representations of femaleness: the female body is ubiquitous, presented visually everywhere, in contexts that range from the crassly commercial to the sacred and divine – and yet these representations, to me, have always felt devoid of the female experience as I know and understand it.

PETER COOLEY PA R R O T U R N 2 , 2 0 1 8 earthenware 66 x 45 x 43 cm

This vessel is a response to bushwalking and having the joy of seeing a flash of bright colour fly past. This is an uplifting experience, the shock and a momentary gasp. The controlled colour-blocking of this vessel juxtaposes the expressionist form; red reminds us of the local rosellas, green of the Ki n g p a r r o t , a n d m a g e n t a o f t h e b u d d i n g n e w g r o w t h o f t h e e u c a l y p t leaves. The form relates to the landscape of the rough terrain of the Blue Mountains area, the surface having being struck with a hammer to push it to the extreme of ceramic construction.

M AT T R M A R T I N UNTITLED I, 2018 oil on board 50 x 40.5 cm

A varied background has led me to develop an appreciation for the subtle nuances of human gesture. A myriad of artistic influences, i n c l u d i n g m y m o t h e r ’s p a s s i o n f o r c l a s s i c a l b a l l e t , i n s t i l l e d a s e n s e of the capability of the human form for expression far beyond that which can be achieved with words. My work explores not only human postures and proprioception, but also its orientation which forces the viewer to consider the human form as a whole, along with its various gestures, shapes, and expressions of body language. My artworks are a reflection of my ethos regarding figurative art as timeless, aiming to forge an emotional connection between artist and viewer through such a humble medium.

ALESANDRO LJUBICIC A S P I R E TO I N S P I R E B E F O R E W E E X P I R E , 2 0 2 1 oil on linen 180 x 170 cm

The success of each work purely relies on his injection of energy and a sense of optimism; to work the painted surfaces enough to convey emotion and avoid them appearing contrived, while not overworking the paint to the point of seeming laboured or bogged down with worries. It is a fine line to tread, but painting the unfathomable beauty of flowers, life and even paint itself, is by no means an easy or straightforward task. Ljubicic brings a creative vitality to painting that can leave the viewer transfixed. Even though we are acutely aware that a flower garden cannot cover the entire world, these paintings permit us to enjoy the moment and this life we experience.

S O N I A PAY E S EMERGENCE, 2020 Edition of 3 bronze, black patina on a raised burnt wooden base 51 x 27 x 12 cm

The mutability of nature and its ability to adapt to external conditions is fluidly conveyed in Emergence. This multi-faceted sculpture gradually cedes from one cracked, misshapen mask–like the relic of a fallen civilization, crushed by the weight of time–into the youthful, smooth features of another the face of a newly regenerated h u m a n i t y.

TO D D H U N T E R NOBODY ‘CEPT YOU, 2021 oil on canvas 200 x 177 cm

Strictly speaking, I’m neither a figurative nor an abstract painter and I find the space between figurative and non-figurative art an exhilarating place to work. I’m drawn to images that possess a mystery that hides things, being out of focus and relying more on evocation than a simple recognition. The figure and the landscape are both elements present in my work, evidenced or acknowledged through colour and form, but most importantly through a dynamic or force. By this, I mean dealing with movement and magnetism, the pulls between one form or another a n d w h a t t h e s p a c e s b e t w e e n a n d a r o u n d t h i s p u l l l o o k l i k e . I t ’s t h e abstraction of forces and the residue or traces of these forms that survive the many erasures that become the elements of the painting. The problem I see, for me, is not the object in the painting but painting as object…

ANDREW ROGERS U N D U L AT I O N 2 , 2 0 2 0 Edition of 12 + AP bronze 37 x 51 x 35 cm

Achieving parametric form … a geometric object… a r e p r e s e n t a t i o n t o c a r e s s a n d w o n d e r.

a curve of surface,

COLIN PENNOCK A F T E R L O S I N G W H AT W E T H O U G H T W A S O U R S , 2 0 2 0 oil on linen 200 x 200 cm

This painting was completed in response to the catastrophic effect of the bush fires in 2020. In the hinterland we are surrounded by bush with distant views of the ocean. Our idea of a safe place to live began to change. Although elevated we didn’t feel safe. The normally lush rainforest began to dry out and became a potential threat. The danger of this becoming more frequent as a future cycle makes us feel more vulnerable and unsettled.

C A M I E LY O N S N AT U R E ’ S W A LT Z 1 & 2 , 2 0 1 8 Bronze

C a m i e Ly o n s ’ w o r k t r i e s t o f i n d a b a l a n c e a n d b e a u t y i n t h e c o n s t a n t c y c l e t h a t i s m e m o r y, p e r c e p t i o n a n d d a i l y l i f e . T h e y a r e s e n s i t i v e and enduring, a form of organic linear abstraction that strikes a chord… Ly o n s ’ b a c k g r o u n d i s i n d a n c e a n d t h i s e q u i p s h e r w i t h a k e e n s e n s e o f t i m i n g , r h y t h m a n d l i n e . A d a n c e r ’s s e n s e o f b a l a n c e a n d movement is captured and translated into linear sculpture. Her works ask questions, spiralling and pirouetting to other possibilities as they d a n c e a r o u n d t h e r o o m . I n t e r e s t i n g l y, t h e y d o n ’ t h a v e a d e f i n e d f r o n t or back. “The sculptures can be shifted around a room, placed at different angles, lit to create drama, this makes them quite versatile and surprising.” Her oeuvre is about flex and tension, like limbs of a tree, parts are g r o w i n g a w a y f r o m t h e i r c o r e , r e s e m b l i n g a p u r e c h a n g e i n Ly o n ’s s e n s e o f d i r e c t i o n w i t h h e r w o r k . L i k e m u s c l e m e m o r y l o s i n g i t ’s gravitas, clinging to what once was, the works are self evolving, rising out of lily pads and other perches that resemble organic, pure objects found in nature.

JOANNA LOGUE MARSH SONG, 2021 oil on linen 130 x 130 cm

M y r e c e n t p a i n t i n g w a s m a d e o v e r t h e p a s t y e a r, i n m y i s l a n d s t u d i o off the coast of Maine, during a pandemic accompanied by political and social unrest, and environmental catastrophe - a time of great fear and uncertainty for everyone, and personal loss and homesickness for me. During the ‘lockdown’, with the world engulfed in an atmosphere of tumult and suffering, I found myself questioning the relevance of landscape painting. What is its meaning in this upturned world? Living in relative isolation, I realized this past year that I have always ‘sheltered in place’, making paintings with a deep respect for nature and taking comfort and solace in my connection to it - humbled by the impermanence of living things contrasted against the steadfastness of the mountains and rivers and the sea. These paintings are a deep expression of my reverence for the landscape and its healing powers, and an honouring and celebration of nature. And on reflection, this feels supremely important.

BERN EMMERICHS T H E O L D LY S A N D E R , 2 0 2 0 painted ceramic (fired) and mixed media 30 x 90 cm

GOLDEN HEIST, 2020 painted ceramic (fired) and mixed media 30 x 90 cm

Emmerichs is unique as a painter of stories in words and pictures, in the medium of ceramic, whose works are in the collections of major Australian museums as well as art galleries. F o r d e c a d e s s h e ’s r o v e d M e l b o u r n e ’s o l d s t r e e t s , u r b a n b u s h , p a r k s a n d w a t e r w a y s . S h e ’s i n t r i g u e d b y h i s t o r i c d o c u m e n t s , c h a r m e d b y u n u s u a l n a m e s a n d b e g u i l e d b y o d d d e t a i l s . S h e ’s c o l l e c t e d t h o u s a n d s of small domestic items, crockery and figurines, embroideries, tokens, fabrics, trims and curios. Emmerichs’ sympathetic feminist approach to historical inequities and her enthusiasm for bric-a-brac combine with exceptional technical skills, her decorative motifs are drawn from scrimshanders’ art, scrollwork, cameo portraits, lacy border patterns and capsized lettering. Emmerichs’ work is that of a Celtic Australian contemporary artist w h o ’s m a d e a s u s t a i n e d a n d v i v a c i o u s c o n t r i b u t i o n t o d i s c o u r s e a b o u t o u r c o u n t r y ’s p r o b l e m a t i c p a s t . B e w i t c h i n g l y i t e m b o d i e s t h e a r t i s t ’s own words: we learn and we relearn. D r S a r a h E n g l e d o w, 2 0 2 1

WA L A N G K U R A N A PA N A N G K A D E S I G N S A S S O C I AT E D W I T H T R AV E L S O F K U T U N G K A N A PA N A N G K A , 2 0 0 5 P a p u n y a Tu l a A r t i s t s c a t . W N 0 5 1 1 2 8 0 acrylic on Belgian linen 183 x 152 cm

EXHIBITED: P I N T U P I , H a m i l t o n s G a l l e r y, L o n d o n , U K , 28 June - 11 August 2006, cat. 5 This painting depicts designs associated with the travels of an old w o m a n , Ku t u n g k a N a p a n a n g k a , f r o m t h e w e s t . S h e t r a v e l l e d f r o m M a l p a r i n g y a , n o r t h - w e s t o f t h e Ki n t o r e C o m m u n i t y a n d v i s i t e d t h e site of the Tjintjintjin where there is an underground cave, also the s o a k a g e w a t e r s i t e s o f N g u t a n a n d Ya r a n g a w h i c h a r e a l l w e s t o f Mantati Outstation, approximately seventy kilometres west of the Ki n t o r e C o m m u n i t y. T h e r o u n d e l s i n t h i s p a i n t i n g d e p i c t t h e s o a k a g e s at these sites. She then travelled further east to Muruntji, south-west of Mt. Liebig. At Muruntji she was accosted by one of a group of boys so she chased them and caught all but the culprit who managed to escape. She killed the others and cooked them in a fire. She then travelled to Kaltarra where she entered the earth.

STELARC RECLINING STICKMAN 2 0 2 0 A D E L A I D E B I E N N I A L O F A U S T R A L I A N A R T: M O N S T E R T H E AT R E S A RT G A L L E RY O F S O U T H A U S T R A L I A , A D E L A I D E

Re c l i n i n g S t i c k M a n i s a 9 m l o n g , 4 m h i g h s t i c k f i g u r e r o b o t a c t u a t e d by pneumatic rubber muscles. It continuously rotates on its axis, its limbs algorithmically actuated. As an interactive

installation,

anyone, anywhere could access the robot and insert their own choreography via the online interface. For the 5 hour continuous performance, the body was positioned on the torso of the robot and could actuate its limbs using a pair of pneumatic joystick. The artist was responding and improvising to both the in-gallery and online participants. The rotating robot was projected on the 3 walls of the gallery generating anamorphic shadows. The sound of the inflating, contracting and extending and exhausting muscle sounds were augmented by the solenoid clicks and the droning of the r o t a t i o n a l m o t o r. T h e a r t i s t i m a g i n e d t h e b o d y o n t h e r o b o t a s a k i n d of contemporary pieta, of a human cradled by a large robot. Nina Sellars more seductively described it as the body being merely a human strap-on for the robot. i m a g e c o u r t e s y, S a u l S t e e d

AMELIA CARROLL OCEAN 3, 2020 oil on canvas 130 x 110 cm

Inspired by the vast landscape of southern Chile and Argentina, this p a i n t i n g c a p t u r e s a Pa t a g o n i a n s c e n e , t h e w o r k p u s h e s b e y o n d s i m p l y a r e c o r d o f p l a c e . Pa t a g o n i a , i n m y e y e s , r e p r e s e n t s s o m e t h i n g m o r e . This truly wild landscape embodies the sublime more overtly than any other I have experienced. The constant state of flux in which the n a t u r a l w o r l d e x i s t s i s a c u t e l y a p p a r e n t h e r e . I t b e c o m e s c l e a r, f e e l i n g the force of weather while scaling boundless peaks and ever changing glaciers, that the deep, inevitable, connection to landscape we feel, b o t h p h y s i c a l l y a n d e m o t i o n a l l y, i s f u n d a m e n t a l t o o u r e x i s t e n c e … Each painting is a window to a scene, the threshold between human a n d l a n d s c a p e . D e p t h a n d d e t a i l i n v i t e t h e v i e w e r t o l o o k c l o s e r, d r a w i n g t h e m i n t o t h e s p a c e , e n g a g i n g i m a g i n a t i o n a n d m e m o r y. Dynamic composition, light and texture create an atmosphere evolving the power of the elements at play in this environment. In selecting these commanding scenes, I hope to stimulate reflection on the state of the natural world, as it can be seen as a compelling mirror of the human condition.

K AT E B E R G I N THE SMART SET, 2021 oil on canvas 150 x 90 cm

I recently purchased a tiny book with gold gilt edges with a gold e m b o s s e d t i t l e , Ta l e s o f t h e J a z z A g e , F. S c o t t F i t z g e r a l d . I t c a m e complete with a blue satin ribbon to mark your page (obviously I buy books for their sheer beauty). Fitzgerald writes a little memory of each of the short stories in the book. It was absolutely wonderful. For The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, he recalls “a startling letter from an anonymous admirer in Cincinnati…” ‘Sir - I have read the story of Benjamin Button in Colliers and I wish to say that as a short story writer you would make a good lunatic…’ Most of the stories in this little book were first published in the New Yo r k l i t e r a r y m a g a z i n e , T h e S m a r t S e t .

Acknowledgements: The gallery was established in the year 2000 and I would like to t h a n k a l l t h e r e p r e s e n t e d a r t i s t s i n c l u d i n g t h e a r t i s t s o f Pa p u n y a Tu l a . I n a d d i t i o n t h e c o l l e c t o r s , p a t r o n s a n d c o l l e a g u e s o v e r t h e p a s t twenty one years. S p e c i a l t h a n k s t o S o p h i e F o l e y, Pa u l S w e e n e y, S u s i e B o w i e a n d Simon Strong.

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SCOTT LIVESEY GALLERIES 610 High Street

I Tel: +61 3 9824 7770 I www.scottliveseygalleries.com

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