Between Seasons Showing (added 17th October 2008)

Cudgegong Gallery presents the latest offerings with dynamic artists from their collections — the Between Seasons Showing will feature from Friday 17th October - Monday 17th November 2008.

Artists featured in the upstairs gallery include: Nigel White, Victor Greenaway, Chris Shoji, Mitsuo Shoji and Chris Admas.

Featured ceramics artists in the downstairs gallery will be: Sandra Black, Michel Boulay, Mirta Morigi, Jenny Orchard, Greg Payce, Tania Rollond, Peter Rushforth, Julie Shepherd, Rynne Tanton, Pauline Welfare and Alistair White.

Feast your eyes on the delightful Mitsou Shoji whose work covers a broad spectrum of ceramic expression, to the highly respected an influential woodfired potter Peter Rushforth whose career has influenced a whole generation of Australian potters.

Director Cudgegong Gallery Lyn Cole is excited with the quality of work on offer and believes there will be something for everyone. “This exhibition will demonstrate the breadth and scope of Cudgegong Gallery’s reach.”

“I encourage all visitors to enjoy a private between seasons showing of ceramics in the downstairs gallery and paintings in the upstairs gallery.”

“The primary objectives of Cudgegong Gallery are to present quality works for appreciation and sale on behalf of its exhibiting artists.

“The Gallery specialises in showing ceramics and presenting works of quality from artists of high standing in their field.”

“The between Season Showing is an opportunity for the gallery to celebrate the talents of quality artists from the showroom.”

“We look forward to seeing you at the gallery to celebrate a dynamic array of influential ceramics and paintings from some well loved Australian artists.”

David Middlebrook exhibition at Cudgegong Gallery in September (added 4th September 2008)

David Middlebrook’s work will marvel and entice audiences in a visual feast for the senses this spring. From 5 September – 13 October 2008 Cudgegong Gallery will present a selection of his works.

Middlebrook is known as a key Australian landscape painter with a career lasting over twenty years. Highlights include twenty five solo exhibitions along the east cost of Australia. His work is held in regional, public and private collections both in Australia and overseas. In recent years he has appeared at locations such as Moree Plains Regional Gallery and throughout commercial galleries on the east coast. In 2006 he was awarded a PhD from the University of Newcastle for his studies pertaining to Australian Landscape painting.  His work is influenced by Chinese and European landscape painting history.

Middlebrook is delighted to present this exhibition at Cudgegong Gallery and says: “Cudgegong Gallery is one of the finest most progressive gallery’s in Australia, the fact that its in a regional area and not a major city, shows the great foresight and understanding of its directors and staff, that believe that great art should be accessible.”

“I live in a regional centre and understand the importance and strength of passion, which people have towards the arts, irrespective of their post code.” 

Director Cudgegong gallery Lyn Cole is excited to be presenting a dynamic combination of Middlebrook’s work to audiences in regional NSW. “David’s paintings display raw pure colour reflecting the brilliance of scenery from the starkness of Central Australia to the archaeological ruins of Greece,” she comments, adding his work also reflects the influences of both Chinese and European landscape painting history.

She cites the show as having a major scope of influences from scenes which regional audiences are familiar with. This will add to their delight in discovery of the show. “The inspiration in David’s landscape paintings comes from travels across Australia, from the Flinders Ranges in Central Australia to the opal fields in outback NSW. 

“His interpretations of horizons with the tone, colour and compositional exploration of the desert landscapes will bring a vibrancy and energy complimenting the indigenous works from Ernabella.”

Middlebrook travels for two months on an annual basis throughout Central Australia and this allows him to explore his own scope of the textures, tones and compositional overtones of the vibrant desert landscape. Personal and political themes are also played out on his canvases through the landscape.

“Creating is what I do, I breathe and I paint. Landscape is just the catalyst that makes it accessible to other people, and provides the air for me to live in.”

Ernabella Artists at Cudgegong Gallery present Nganampa walka wiru (Our work is beautiful) (added 4th September 2008)

Ernabella artists have the chance to show their beautiful works with the exhibition Nganampa walka wiru’ (Our work is beautiful) showing at Cudgegong Gallery from 5th September – 13th October 2008 at Cudgegong.

Ernabella Arts is a gallery and studio space based 440 km south west of Alice Springs, near the Northern Territory/South Australian Border, with a focus on developing sustainable cultural heritage practices.

The work produced from these studios includes batik, paintings, print making, ceramics, screen prints, carvers and basket making. This year Ernabella celebrate their 60th anniversary with the aim of producing a greater awareness of members’ talents.

Director Cudgegong Gallery Lyn Cole travelled to Ernabella in June to select works for the show and is excited to be presenting such a range of works across these specialist mediums. “Cudgegong Gallery is about art and the artists – presenting special, unusual and significant pieces of work on behalf of artists to extol extreme talents and expressions of the artist’s stories.” 

“We are very much looking forward to the gallery hosting a welcome to country with a representative from the local Wiradjuri people Aleshia Lonsdale, to acknowledge the Ernabella artists visit to this region.”

“Accompanying the exhibition will be an artists’ demonstration by two of the Ernabella artists. Members of the public and lovers of art alike can experience the precise traditions and techniques which contribute to creating a significant artwork of beauty.”

“2008 has been the year of recognition for the indigenous population of Australia,” she continued. “Presenting an exhibition from Australia’s oldest indigenous art centre is the opportunity for people to learn, understand and show their appreciation for these historic talents.” 

The Ernabella work is represented in the major public galleries and private collections in Australia. The work has also been featured in a number of late books regarding Aboriginal Art.

Nganampa walka wiru (Our work is beautiful) will be officially opened on Saturday 6 September 2008 from 11.00am-1.00pm.

The welcome to country will be presented by Aleshia Lonsdale, community representative for the local Wiradjuri people.

Ros Auld at Cudgegegong Gallery (added 22nd July, 2008)

Ros Auld will present her solo exhibition titled Essentially Landscapes at Cudgegong Galleryfrom 1 August – 1 September 2008.

The exhibition will be partnered with a Between Seasons Showing featuring paintings in the upstairs gallery.

Essentially Landscape will feature ceramic vessels, wall sculptures and works on paper. Ros’ work seeks inspiration from the Australian landscape in its colours, textures and forms.

“I am basically inspired by the patterns, colours and textures of the landscape. Observing the changing landscape is a constant source of enjoyment and reference material.”
Ros cites her work as an “evolving” process, building over a period of 30 years of art practice.
“My interest has always been involved with the aesthetics of visual language and the physicality of the ceramic process,” she says. “Working as a regional artist means easy access to the natural landscape.”
For Ros, benefits to living and practicing in the region are many. “There is a network of diverse artists, not dominated by fashions, involvement with the local regional gallery and the ability to work in splendid isolation.”
“My plan for future art practice is to continue to evolve through experimentation; play with mixed media and develop larger sculptural works expressive of the environment.”

Director Cudgegong Gallery Lyn Cole says Ros has a stunning history of work and the Gallery is happy to host such a diverse range from one artist.

“Ros Auld is a ceramic artist whose work is represented in many galleries and private collections in Australia and overseas.  Working from her Borenore studio in the NSW Central Tablelands, she has produced a distinctive range of large vessels, wall tiles and free standing sculptures.”

“From a background of Japanese aesthetics and salt glazed ceramics, her work has developed a strong individuality,” said Lyn.  “Her recent ideas evolve from primitive art objects which she has always admired because of their boldness and integrity. 

“The sculptural quality of the forms is important – while some are simple vessels, others are much more complex. “

This exhibition will continue to reinforce Cudgegong Gallery’s position as a specialist for suppling some of the finest ceramics in Australia, bringing dynamic and innovative work into the region.

Ken Knight, Landscape at Cudgegong Gallery in Winter (added 2nd June, 2008)

Ken Knight stuns audiences

There are many things that should not come between an artist and creating and one of these is the landscape. Ken Knight will present an exhibition of latest impressionist landscape works — The Man and His Landscapes at Cudgegong Gallery from Friday June 6 to Monday July 28 2008. An accompaniment to this exhibition will be a Between Seasons Showing of ceramic works.

Ken Knight is represented in private and corporate collections in Australia, England, Italy, US, Mexico, throughout Europe and Asia. For Ken the last decade has been characterised by a number of overseas study trips with high profile exhibitions and residencies across the county. Now he will bring his latest works to Cudgegong Gallery.

“My inspiration comes from Nature. Because Nature is all encompassing and dynamic I choose to record and interpret my visual response directly, painting ‘en plein air ’,” responding directly to the landscape – creating outside and not in the studio.

“The five senses seem to me to be more receptive when standing in front of the subject. Furthermore, you actually become part of the subject when you are surrounded by hills, hear the call of the magpie or feel the freshening cool breeze as a storm approaches,” he comments.

Ken’s work is characterised by thick paint effects, tracing the landscape created on canvas through pallet knives, scraped and applied to create an inspiring and seductive textured surface. This is in his opinion his ‘true view’ of the landscape.

“We do not see the world as a camera records it. We perceive the world through individual eyes and see it selectively. When painting a landscape some parts come forward while other parts recede, depending on what we are looking at,” he comments, adding that the painting he creates encourages viewers to reflect and enjoy.

“The idea of creating these lost and found areas within a painting, allowing the viewer to search and enjoy, ponder and speculate is ultimately where enjoyment is found when standing before a painting.”

Director Cudgegong Gallery Lyn Cole is pleased to be offering this exhibition “The Gallery has not yet exhibited an impressionist painter,” she comments. “Ken Knight offers something people are familiar with, being an impressionist landscape painter."

“Cudgegong Gallery, are honored to exhibit his works, and it is a real treat for the region to have a painter of this calibre visit and display in the area.”

The collection features seascapes, Sydney Harbour, Hawksbury River hinterland and Jugiong created by the artist over the past five years. The sizes of the works range from small (15-25cm) to large (85-100cm).

On the weekend of the exhibition opening Ken will demonstrate his painting technique when, audiences can experience first hand the tools of his creative process.

Off the Wall at Cudgegong Gallery in Autumn (added 9th May, 2008)

Creations from clay based on decomposed granite are the foundations for Jones’ latest exhibition. The visual feast in store is Off the Wall which will be on show at Cudgegong Gallery from 9 May – 2 June 2008.

Jones has been a full time potter for over 35 years and operates from a studio and gallery in Gundaroo. The gallery is situated in an historic stone building constructed in 1848 originally functioning as a church and school.

From the beginning of his practice, he was seduced by the intriguing surfaces of wood-fired items. “Attempting to produce pots that have surfaces that excite me in the same way as these pots has been the main influence on my work,” he comments.

Jones was the Recipient of the ACT Chief Ministers Creative Arts Fellowship in 2006. He is a previous Churchill Fellow which provided the opportunity to study wood-firing in the US and UK. A recent winner of the CAPO Signature Airlines Award, his work is held in many significant collections of significance including the National Gallery of Australia and Powerhouse Museum.

He was host and co-convener of the Gundaroo Wood fire ’05 conference and in 2001 designed an experimental kiln for the Clay Feast event in Gulgong.

His influences are that of the Shigaraki and Bizen in Japan, Jones is drawn in by the surface qualities on these works and the unpredictability of the firing process.

“My wife [Moraig McKenna] and I fire a nine metre long "anagama" style wood fired kiln, each firing lasting nearly five days, and it is the reaction between the clay and the flame and ash that generates the surface qualities that we are after. 

“This process has sustained my joy in making pottery over many years, and the work in the exhibition generally falls into this continuing exploration.”

It’s this element of the unknown which he feeds off whilst unpacking the kiln. “It is always a time when there are surprises, both good and bad, because the wood firing process involves too many variables for it to be controlled in the same way that a gas or electric kiln can be controlled,” he explains, adding his attraction to the process is opening up to the unknown and the random spiral of events.

“I will be showing two pieces that exemplify the random events that occur, which I believe have created exciting outcomes.  One is a large wall piece, a platter/vase, and the other is a vase.

I will be presenting two "wall" garden sculptures as the major works in the show.”

The large wall works are two modular garden sculptures, gigantic in size; one standing 2 xs 1.2 meters wide, the other is about 2.2 x 1.4 meters.

This exhibition is partnered with the Between Seasons Showing group exhibition featuring two dimensional works from the established gallery collection.

Dining in the Gallery 2008

There’s something attractive about a night which engages all the senses. With all the senses
occupied, guests are fully engaged in a night to remember. Cudgegong Gallery achieved this aim with spectacular results presenting an Asian themed dining event featuring ceramic artists, music, fine food and fine wines on Saturday 3 May 2008.

Dining in the Gallery treated just under 50 guests to a spectacular series of Asian-themed courses served on beautiful ceramic platters, uplifting music and guest speakers accompanied with good conversation and fine wine.

Clay Chef Mitsou Shoji and artist Chris Shoji presented a variety of delectable courses for guests on handmade ceramic platters, accompanied by Chef Rachael McCarthy’s delicious desserts and canapés.

Riley Lee, the Shakuhachi player on the night, spoke fondly of the event. “I was honoured to be a part of it,” commented Lee, who is internationally renowned for his work on this bamboo instrument. 

“It was remarkable how much thought has been put into the theme – with everything integrated – and directed to all the senses. I felt it was very easy to fit into something which was organized in such a tasteful manner.”

Elizabeth Rogers – CEO Regional Arts NSW as guest speaker spoke earnestly of how thrilled she was to be a part of the event. “This night showed the excellence and diversity of regional NSW. This helps to build sustainable communities.  With more arts sectors operating in the country – regional towns become more attractive.”

Rogers in her keynote speech explained the operation of Regional Arts NSW to a captive audience and addressed the importance of the arts in breaking down barriers. She emphasized the fact that the arts form an important and critical function at all levels of communities in regional, rural and remote NSW.

Director of Cudgegong Gallery Lyn Cole was pleased that the evening’s success was apparent through the guests’ obvious enjoyment and appreciation. “Dining in the Gallery was a fabulous collaboration by a group of very talented creative individuals."

The food was of great interest to attendees with each course offering a new sensation, as Cole surmised:

“A feast for the eyes, the nose and the mouth, all presented on individual ceramic masterpieces made by Master Ceramicist Mitsuo Shoji.”

Cole added that Riley Lee's Shakuhachi performances “resonated” throughout the gallery creating a spectacular interlude for guests.

“Guests rewarded Riley with their willing silence during his playing, his music was a feast to the ears,” she said.

Petersons provided a wonderful selection of wines to accompany the meal. “This confirms Peterson’s certainly do make Wines of Distinction,” commented Cole. “They believe the art of making wine is a blend of history, experience and a passion for colour, flavour, and texture.

“We are pleased the guests of Dining in the Gallery were not disappointed.”

East Winds and Entropa at Cudgegong Gallery in Autumn (added 1st March, 2008)

An innovative double bill will be revealed at Cudgegong Gallery in the next few months. Located in the heart of historic Gulgong, the gallery features a specialised, contemporary and cutting edge exhibition space with a high standard of professional and unique work.

The world-class exhibitions East Winds and Entropa feature from 21 March – 5 May 2008. Featured artists in East Winds are Anna Choi, Kwirak Choung, Won Seok Kim, Takeaki Totsuka, Yi-Hui Wang and Ken Yonetani. This exhibition will happen in concert with Entropa – a solo exhibition featuring established portrait and landscape painter Margarita Georgiadis.
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A taste of the east will be in store for audiences with featured ceramicists from Japan, Korea and China in East Winds. Drawn together with the guiding hand of curator Mitsou Shoji, he has given the artists an open brief to create work for this unique exhibition.

This will be accompanied by a solo exhibition in the upstairs gallery by Margarita Georgiadis titled Entropa. Her work reveals haunting images, portraits and characters completed in oils and watercolour.

Georgiadis describes her approach to painting as being an intensive time of research aligned to each body of work. “I begin each body of work with a random process of attraction to found subject matter, which then takes me on a journey during that particular time frame.”

Director of Cudgegong Gallery Lyn Cole is interested to note how audiences will experience the upcoming show. “Cudgegong Gallery strives to develop dynamic and unique exhibitions which continue to delight and entrance audiences across the region.”

“Clients may have the desire to add to their collections and we provide the resources and services to do this. One of our aims for the year is provide a dynamic and revealing presentation of artists which will be gracefully uncovered as the exhibition schedule for the year is explored.”

Staff Brooke Lines agrees. “We are excited by the quality of work available this season. I encourage everyone to drop by and experience our gallery first hand! We have world class facilities with a quality and diverse arts and cultural experience located within the heart of historic Gulgong.”

“If you desire a face to face meeting with the exquisite, the new and the exotic, we encourage you to look no further than Cudgegong Gallery!”

Margarita Georgiadis is represented by Rex Livingston Art, Sydney.

Gulgong Does It Again! (added 1st February, 2008)

A new gallery space is opening in Gulgong at 89 Mayne Street. The inaugural exhibition entitled “EARTH AND SKY” will launch officially with a private showing on February 9th. The exhibition will open to the public Thursday to Monday between 10.00 am and 4.00 pm until 29th February 2008.

The theme “Earth and Sky” has been readily embraced by ceramic artists, painters and sculptors of the Mid-West. Fine arts have been especially created for this display by prize-winning local artists Allan Fizzell, Merilyn Birch-Carney, Christopher Wright, Kieren Norris and artists from the Ceramic Focus Group.

Under the auspices of the Cudgegong Gallery, this new gallery space has been specifically dedicated to the works of local artists - a long awaited focus and one which has been welcomed by the many artists working and living in the region.

An exhibition not to be missed for further details contact Cudgegong Gallery in Gulgong (Phone: 6374 1630 or mail@cudgegonggallery.com.au.)

Ceramic artists delve Beneath the Surface (added 21st January, 2008)

The upcoming exhibition at Cudgegong Gallery is an intrinsic look at the motivations of the artists and the meaning to be discovered underneath the coveted exterior of the ceramic object.

Beneath the Surface in the downstairs Gallery will showcase a talented collection of ceramicists which includes Margaret Ling, Melanie Manser, Marjo Roberts, Valerie Stuart and Pauline Welfare. A collective theme in this exhibition draws on the influence of nature and the artist’s place in this system.

Valerie Stuart

This exhibition is complimented by the Between Seasons showing, in the upstairs Gallery which will provide a platform for artworks from the Gallery collection. Both exhibitions will run from 1 February until 17 March 2008. All artists in Beneath the Surface have a great regard for the exploration of exterior texture within a variety of techniques employed to create the finished effect, from complex carving, piercing and polishing with beeswax of Pauline Welfare to the calligraphic markings of Marjo Roberts.

Another example is Valerie Stuart who untilises hand building techniques with a variety of decoration and firing effects to achieve the desired product. “My inspiration is drawn from everyday forms and textures provided by nature,” she comments. “When taken out of their context, these characteristics impart a feeling of familiarity and surprise when viewed in a different framework.”

Director Lyn Cole is pleased with this latest offering available at Cudgegong Gallery.

“Cudgegong Gallery is excited to present this high caliber collection of ceramic practitioners – the chance to view these works collectively is not always available in regional NSW.”

Margaret Ling

“I feel ceramics practitioners have a particular advantage in exploring themes in ways that both move and delight us,” she comments. “The current debate generated in the media around global warming is highly topical at present and we have no hesitation in supporting artists who are creating wider awareness of this deeply debated issue.” Margaret Ling sees her work as a way to create surfaces which pulse with vitality, reflecting a love of the natural world around her. “My pots are about the mark of the human hand, the touch of nature, stillness and motion, intention intercepted by chance.”

Melanie Manser regards her work as a valuation of everything the artist sees and takes in. “Through collecting information about the world, I am attempting to understand my place in it, although having said that, I do not believe my place is constant.”

Her final words accurately describe the state of constant flux and self-evaluation which all artists work with beneath their own exteriors. “I see my [inner] Self as a work in progress, constantly under review.”

Beneath the Surface will be officially opened by Jacque Schultz on Saturday 2 February from 11am-1pm. Exhibition continues until 17 March 2008.