Art show a tour of tools

THE concept of the tool, its uses, benefits, and various forms, will soon be explored as part of a new art exhibition at Kank Wolverang Records.

Launching this weekend, curator Kristine Allan said the show’s topic, much like the eponymous avian in her previous Festival of the Owl exhibition, is a malleable subject for local artists to tackle.

“A tool is something that can be interpreted in a lot of different ways,” she said.

“This is to see what the 17 artists involved consider a tool to be. It’s interesting to see everyone’s different take on the same theme.

“There’s 2D drawings and original representations, there’s the behaviour of tools in that colloquial term, there’s some who’ve interpreted it as a mirror or guitar, tools we use to enhance our everyday lives…

“Even spiritually, someone’s created the devil, and the devil can be a tool. There’s interesting takes on it.”

Other mediums include sculptures, metalwork, masks, and actual tools.

As well as Allan, the featured artists are Roxanne Waller, Teira Stuart, Amanda Western, Tiffany Titshall, Peter Sparkman, Petra Rodgers, Christine Crawshaw, Emma Grant, Natasha Hill, Xander Savage, Kieran Allan, Tim Denton, Jon Lam, Maree Heap, Perry, and Georgie Gee Green.

Allan drew inspiration for the show from childhood memories.

“I decided to do this show when I was doing the owl one because they’re both something I wanted to explore,” she said.

“I think much of it is memories of seeing tools in my grandfather’s and dad’s old sheds. Old garden tools are amazing.

“They just have so much character but I think much of it is relating back to my childhood. Each tool seemed to have a little history within it.”

The Tool Group Art Exhibition is on show from 5 to 26 October.