CROSSDALE5
Exhibition opening
Saturday July 24, 2021
Five artists from Crossdale - Sharon, Shirley, Jane, Ian, Jan
Sharon Lee
With
fear of climate change and the arrival of Covid-19, 2020-21
encouraged me to coddiwomple - to travel purposefully forward to an
as-yet-unknown destination. En route discovering how necessary it is that we maintain hope.
With
hope in mind, I have created bright, multi-layered narratives. Each a
visual haiku of the memories I yearn to keep and dearly hope persist.
In
the works on canvas I
have started with a black background, and over this I have layered
acrylic glazes to establish
the painting, before
finishing with rich
lushness and viscosity of
oils; the
brightness signifying new beginnings and growth. The inclusion
of birds represents:
wisdom, adaptation,
diligence, rebirth, courage and all the many attributes we will need
to use
to repair and maintain
our ecosystem.
At the commencement of my coddiwompling story and at the end, I have placed sculptures with a serious question in mind, If
nature was watching would you be kinder? A third sculpture designed as a nest, while asking the same question, does hint at the chance of new beginnings. Each piece combines the use of
found
objects, paper clay,
acrylic
and resin.
The
works display my continuing appreciation for
nature and her ability to re-calibrate and rejuvenate, without
ignoring the undesirable aspects of: a world without; a world with
too much; and a world which cannot sustain.
Sharon
Lee
ARTIST
Growing
up in Papua New Guinea, living on an isolated Island in Bougainville,
and then moving to acreage in Crossdale, Queensland, I have always
felt fortunate to be able to observe and interpret the kaleidoscope
of colors and designs in nature. While owning an art supply shop
within the Brisbane Institute of Art for more than a decade and
managing an Artist retreat allowed me to observe and learn many
creative, technique based processes.
In
my work I combine my appreciation for a good story with the
excitement I get from rearranging nature’s complex - and often
ephemeral assemblages. Max Ernst (1891
– 1976) said, ‘an
artist must have one eye on the outer world, while the other
eye looks towards the inner world.’ It is with this in mind
that I create multi-layered paintings evocative of the landscape,
while inserting an irrational or troublesome idea into the imagery.
However, unlike the melancholy of Ernst, I hope my works are a joyful
experience, encouraging the viewer to connect with their own memories
and conscience. Hopefully creating their own unique narrative.
Crossdale5
