RECENTLY unveiled Backspace exhibition, NEST, at The Art Gallery of Ballarat is a collection of mixed media pieces by five local artists.<\/p>\n
VAMP, or Visual Artists Mothers Posse, sees the creatives channel their commonalities \u2013 being mothers and students of Federation University\u2019s Arts Academy \u2013 into a variety of different pieces.<\/p>\n
Wendy Sheridan is a member of the collective said for the group decided to focus on the theme \u2018nest\u2019 as a word and what that means to each of them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all pretty much work around our kitchen tables, kids and family and with COVID, we\u2019ve all interpreted the word nest in our own way,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur exhibition was originally scheduled for April last year, then we had lockdown but once the gallery opened again, we rescheduled the exhibition and most of our work is a combination of early works and things done over the last few months.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mainly work with cyanotypes, my work has become about home being not only our safe and secure place but also being a place of hurt, heartache and pain, it addresses themes about losing ourselves as mums throughout the process of trying to support everyone around us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another VAMP Collective artist Sarah Canham added, \u201cThe idea of the exhibition prompted our discussion about all the things we had in common like our passions and themes, even though we have different styles and we think the art world is missing the mother\u2019s point of view.\u201d<\/p>\n
Utilising mediums including drawing, sculpture and ceramics, the variety of works displayed beside one another is indicative of the transformative nature of home and how the idea of nest can mean something different for everyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve done a series of nests, literally interpreting the word nest, and I looked at climate change, habitat loss and environmental degradation,\u201d VAMP artist Katherine Douglas said.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast summer was black summer, so I actually used bushfire charcoal to draw those nests so it\u2019s a commentary of home and the fragility of home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Canham added, \u201cWith all of us, we had a lot of responsibility and challenges with work, art, children, learning from home so it was a rollercoaster ride but it was great to have support that we found in each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
The VAMP Collective\u2019s exhibition NEST is on display in The Ballarat Art Gallery\u2019s Backspace Gallery until 9 May.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
RECENTLY unveiled Backspace exhibition, NEST, at The Art Gallery of Ballarat is a collection of mixed media pieces by five local artists. VAMP, or Visual Artists Mothers Posse, sees the creatives channel their commonalities \u2013 being mothers and students of Federation University\u2019s Arts Academy \u2013 into a variety of different pieces. Wendy Sheridan is a […]<\/p>\n