A new exhibition opening this Saturday at ArtGeo Gallery sees contemporary artists from the Great Southern bring a personal perspective to the theme of water.
Titled Reservoir, 15 artists from Albany’s MIX Group Inc. explore the impact of deluge and drought on landscape, water as a source of life and the visual magic created by bringing the elements of light and water together.
Guided by Kevin Draper and Barbie Greenshields, exhibiting artists include Susan Angwin, Lynley Campbell, Kate Campbell-Pope, Jenny Crisp, Annette Davis, Renee Farrant, Barbara Madden, Rachel Mordy, Nat Rad, Kerrie Argent, Nikki Green, Robyn Lees, Jill O’Meehan, Lizzie Riley and Margaret Sanders.
Reservoir will include works ranging from a shimmering water projection and photographs on large light boxes, to traditional basketry installations and embroidered textiles.
Other MIX artists explore the theme of water using sound, light and video technology or plastic and recycled aluminium.
Artist Nat Rad’s installation piece, Buoyant, captures the feeling and rhythm of rowing.
Rad collect water from six individual rowing sessions in the King George Sound.
The water is displayed in vacola jars and teamed with lighting and audio on a backdrop of Rad’s oil paintings on canvas paper and marine ply.
Barbara Madden’s work, I can see fear in a handful of dust, refers to the environmental effects of saltwater in the landscape.
Madden immersed old film slides in water from lakes in the region to show the crystalisation process and deterioration of the film – a metaphor for salt land degradation.
The public opening of Reservoir will be held on Saturday at 2pm at ArtGeo Gallery and will feature talks from the artists involved.
The exhibition will be on show until May 13.