Floral tradition continues
IT IS the season for collaborative ventures whether they take the form of beautiful sculptural floral presentations such as Ikebana or are art group exhibitions that show off the skills and interests of their members.
The Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery has a special Carnival of Flowers tradition, and despite the difficulties this year, the ever-popular display of Ikebana arrangements has been maintained.
Stalwart members of the Sogetsu School of the Toowoomba Ikebana Group, Margaret Eiser, Dorothy Herman, and Netta Obst have designed and constructed an impressive exhibition of elegant restraint.
Ikebana, an art form that celebrates the living essence of the flower, becomes a transcendental experience of beauty, harmony, and peace.
In these troubled times, the quiet contemplation of nature’s beauty seen in the stillness of the graceful and minimalist creations provides a tranquil respite.
The play of negative and positive spatial relationships in what are effectively living sculptures, is a significant part of their appeal, as are the choices of flowers with their nuanced vibrations of colour.
The Warwick Art Gallery is presenting Interconnection, an exhibition of work by members of the Warwick Art Group.
The variety of subjects and skills shown by these enthusiastic participants offers encouragement to would-be artists who may lack the confidence “to give it a go”.
The Warwick Art Group introduces opportunities to participate in workshops and learn techniques, but more importantly, it facilitates social encounters that are about camaraderie and a sharing of interests and information.
The artwork is diverse, and the exhibition design has made the most of the differences.
The thoughtful presentation has enhanced weaker pieces giving them greater authority.
Highlights include the textile installation by Dorothy Devine, the ephemeral nature of Max Gallagher’s Clearing mists at Toonumbar Dam, the figure study by Kaz Thorpe, and the colourful seascape by Jennifer Leonard.
Of particular interest is the collaborative installation in the foyer.
This work is about the interconnectedness of a community and how in times of crises we are there for each other.
A series of interconnected boxes carry individual statements, yet collectively, they read as a connected narrative.
The Orange Wall at the Warwick Art Gallery is showing Insight 3, an exhibition by Warwick High School students exploring the nature of creativity through personal imagery and interests.
Works such as the mixed media piece by Madison Rowan and the collages by Sandi Opperman use an associative process.
Rowan’s blindfolded figure denies reality in a world of compromised values, while Opperman’s compositions use a visual “stream of consciousness” style of imagery that salutes the music of John Frusciante and Dave Navarro.
The lyrical abstract by Lily McGee carries suggestions of extrasensory perception. Harry Morton’s Terra nullius is a sober indictment of colonialisation.
However, pure enjoyment is introduced by Charlie McNalty’s splendid yellow cat.