New Backspace show about appreciating architecture

THE Art Gallery of Ballarat’s latest Backspace exhibition is highlighting the streetscapes of Victoria’s largest regional cities.

Covering Ballarat and Geelong, the exhibit is titled Christian den Besten: An Outsider’s View, and the show features the works of the eponymous Geelong-based artist.

Den Besten said the historic architecture provided “something different” for him compared to the buildings in Geelong.

He’s is a member of ArtGusto, an arts studio for people with disabilities, whose director Sharon Bromley said the works were inspired from trips to Ballarat between 2017 to 2019, and again this year.

“As an artist, Christian documents buildings. He’s been documenting his town of Geelong but we started coming to Ballarat for art excursions,” she said.

“He wanted to take photos of the buildings and draw them as a way of preserving them, especially the older ones because one day they might not be there.

“He wants to capture them before they get replaced. He’s very excited to be displaying here in Ballarat.”

The exhibition features 19 pencil and polymer works depicting Geelong buildings and Ballarat sites like Regent Cinemas, the Old Colonists Hall and the Mining Exchange.

Three miniature vehicles made of balsa wood also feature in the show.

Den Besten said each pencilled work would take about two weeks to create from the ArtGusto studio using photos of the buildings taken during the art excursions as reference.

The artist has previously displayed works in Ballarat as part of group exhibitions at the Post Office Gallery in 2011 and the Mining Exchange in 2017.

The Backspace program is aimed at showcasing emerging artists.

Christian den Besten: An Outsider’s View is open until Sunday, 15 January.