HEART OF THE COMMUNITY
The Glenorchy Open is with us again for 2020, and that’s a fine thing. This show is astonishingly engaging and has grown into a massive community event with more than 120 entrants this year.
The show reflects an extraordinarily diverse community to be found in the city of Glenorchy, but this is more than a community show — it feels like a statement.
The amount of practising artists who live in the area is notable. There are names featured here who have had successful shows of their own in the past year or so, including Maria MacDermott and Gabbee Stolp, and Jonny Scholes, organiser of Hobart’s Vibrance Festival which celebrates street art.
There’s a beautiful self-portrait from Jane Giblin as well. Giblin’s piece is a marvellous work that provides a nice coda to her very recent major exhibition.
There are artists as well who simply should have exhibitions — Les Allester is one of these. Allester’s excellent black and white image, Nina, demonstrates the way photography can capture the briefest moment, and is one example of how he could easily carry a solo exhibition.
Of course, it’s not just recognisable names that make this show what it is. I have no idea who G.Wheeler is, but their work, Anarchy ,is a wild and genre-defying oil and enamel painting that really captures the eye.
Anarchy is massive for one thing, and it’s very bright, but there’s also the subject matter — a huge portrait of a Gremlin from the 1984 film, in front of a television test pattern.
The bright and garish nature of this painting is going to divide opinion, but there’s no doubting the competency on display, and I found it very funny.
It’s this kind of energetic, weird, different work like G.Wheeler’s piece that gives the
Glenorchy Open its sheer exuberance, along with the works by children or people who aren’t exactly known in the world of fine art.
This includes terrific work from Joshua Santospirito, who is known for his comics, and an actual watercolour from him is a rare surprise.
Other works that stood out for me and warrant mentioning are the odd sculpture by Dan Sowerby, which is made from those plastic net bags you get oranges in. Sowerby has made a very funny beast from this material, and it’s for sale for the surprising price of one Bitcoin.
There’s also an astounding and massive embroidered curtain by Zainab Gholami, which features traditional work that is really jaw-dropping in its beauty.
Faranak Kazemimajd impresses as well with technical prowess. This small still life pencil image of oranges is very strong work.
Leigh Rigozzi’s subtle and rhythmic watercolour and ink image of tiny suburban details in panels is another one of the works that creeps up, and again this artist deserves to be seen locally more.
Finally, I must note the simply marvellous textile work of Kris Terts. Terts’ Place is a huge and loving exploration of the idea of being somewhere and enjoying it.
Made of found materials like tea towels and lace table cloths, this big patchwork quilt is a story told in images, stitches and colours.
The level of time collecting and making that went into this one is impressive, but the end result really sings.
This by no means is everything in this fantastic show. More than any individual work though, is the astounding diversity of art this represents — Glenorchy is a vibrant place.