Exhibition brings artists together

SPACE is the theme of a new collaborative exhibition currently on display at Dudley House.

Five local artists, Lorraine Brigdale, Sharon Greenaway, Maggie MacCathie, Lauren Starr and Maree Tonkin have each interpreted the theme in a unique way and presented works such as paintings, illustrations, photography, weaving and more.

Brigdale said the exhibition was born out of meetings in 2019 and was initially scheduled for 2020, however was pushed back until last Friday due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Since first starting work on the exhibition, Brigdale said each artist has gone through their own experiences while also living through the last 20 months.

“Quite a few of us have had some big lifetime events in our families which has made it a tough time for some people, then of course we’ve all been dealing with COVID,” she said.

The Yorta Yorta artist painted a series of shields, which she said give people “space for health and strength to remain.”

“A shield allows you to show your full strength without being hurt, it creates a situation for people to be seen as strong, but they’ve still got a shield to help protect them,” she said.

Maree Tonkin created photographic artworks documenting her sister’s journey from diagnosis of breast cancer to recovery.

“I interpreted space as holding space for someone who’s going through something and being present and just being present each day and just helping someone through a really extraordinary journey,” she said.

Tonkin also collected her sister’s hair, which had fallen out as a result of chemotherapy, and created a Saori weaving.

Sharon Greenaway, who was diagnosed with blood cancer in September last year, said her studio is a space where she feels safe and secure.

Maggie MacCathie’s work is influenced by not only the pandemic, but the death of her mother. Through this time she found solace and peace in the space of her garden.

Lauren Starr’s work deals with conflicting emotions of the relief of not being busy during lockdowns and an urgency to find space through dystopian works using themes of strength, loneliness and hope.

“It’s a really diverse group of artists and the collaboration has been really fantastic, as an artist where you’ve been working in isolation for so long, to be able to come together with other makers and creators is just a really fun part of collaborating for a show,” Tonkin said.

The Space exhibition is open until Sunday, 17 October between 11am and 4pm.