CAN you picture one hundred unique, vibrant faces framed by one shop window?<\/p>\n
A new art exhibition launching this weekend at Sturt Street\u2019s Playing in the Attic, will feature exactly this idea, curated by store owner, Trudy McLauchlan.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s going to be 100 faces staring at anyone who walks past my shop,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got 29 local artists doing 100 paintings, or portraits, in all different mediums… Oils, acrylics, graphite, textiles, and even tattooed leather.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a real mix of subjects as well, from dogs, to people, the moon, made up characters and local personalities.\u201d<\/p>\n
The expressive collaboration, including work by Anna Placidi, Margie Balazic, Deborah Klein, Bren Luke and Maggie Dannatt, was inspired by McLauchlan\u2019s own creative passion for painting faces.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought, what if I got the community involved and invited all the artists I know, and friends of friends, to create a grid of 100 paintings, 10 centimetres by 10 centimetres, just looking out onto the street and filling the width of the little window.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just said, here\u2019s your canvas, do me a face. I\u2019ve had an amazing response from a broad mix of artists, whether totally professional or first-time exhibitors. They\u2019re all very cool,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
McLauchlan\u2019s window show has a simple aim, to boost Ballarat\u2019s visual arts community and inspire residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to do something else in relation to local artists, and during the Winter Festival period. I\u2019m always supporting them in my shop, but this was a chance to do something bigger.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe timing is perfect. Everyone is probably feeling a bit down, drab and uninspired, but when they walk past, they\u2019ll see this burst of colourful faces and stop in their tracks,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n