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‘A new beginning.. in the West’ 2010
An exhibition of paintings by Melbourne Artist Jo Darvall
At Kidogo Art Gallery and Art Institute from Saturday 6th of February to 1 March 2010
A new beginning.. in the West is an introduction to Darvall's art practice as it reflects a change in place, in October last year the Darvall family moved from Melbourne to take up a new home in the south of Fremantle and a new studio for Jo Darvall in Pakenham Street Fremantle. Darvall exhibits paintings prints and an artist book at Kidogo this month.
The artist paintings depicts the Western Australian out back as a centre stage for images of fragile creatures to dance and perform a painted play on a big out back stage. Under huge skies birds are on the hunt, underneath a red landscape sprawls out, tattoo like images of roads disappear into the horizon. Its is here, in the West that Darvall begins a new study of the unique history of Perth and its surrounding places stumbling upon stories of discovery and tragedy under a blazing hot summer sun.
Included along with paintings in this exhibition is an Artist Book which is a collaboration with Darvall and celebrated playwright Jane Harrison, playing tribute to a fragile world. The Artist Book which has been exhibited at a notable public gallery in Melbourne will be exhibited here in Fremantle for the first time.
It began with a chance encounter at their children’s circus lesson in Melbourne and led to a unique collaboration. Artist Darvall has interpreted writer Harrison’s children’s fable, The butterfly, the bee, the moth and the rose, to create a sensitive and deeply revealing series of work.
The collaboration has resulted in the creation of an artists hand made book. Which is also a sculpture. It consists of French hand made paper folded in a concertina way attached to the gallery wall.
This is a book for kids and art lovers all at once, one can walk through the gallery reading Harrisons story whilst viewing an art work that stretches over ten meters.
Darvall says that an artist may only have one opportunity in ones creative lifetime to work with a brilliant writer such as Harrison. Quote ” I wanted to make the most of it. I was so excited by the book, her brilliant story.
The series, ‘A new beginning.. in the West,' is a dramatic example of Jo’s abiding interest in the nexus between nature and human life. As with her previous series, Black Moth and Dragonflies, Darvall incorporates detailed insect forms etched into the canvas over elaborately layered backgrounds.
Jo Darvall graduated in printmaking from the VCA at the National Gallery of Melbourne in 1989 and is one of three founding members of the Artists for Kids Culture Trust, which annually raises over $100,000 for disadvantaged children. Jo has been exhibiting since 1988, and has been selected twice to participate in the prestigious Williamstown Art Prize.
Jane Harrison is an award winning playwright (Stolen, Rainbow’s End, Blakvelvet) She contributed an essay to Just Words?: Australian Authors on Writing and Justice, and co-wrote an episode of the television series The Circuit, (SBS, 2007). The butterfly, the bee, the moth and the rose (Unpublished) is her first children’s picture book.
For more information on this media release please contact the artist on 0405 126 401
An exhibition of paintings by Melbourne Artist Jo Darvall
At Kidogo Art Gallery and Art Institute from Saturday 6th of February to 1 March 2010
A new beginning.. in the West is an introduction to Darvall's art practice as it reflects a change in place, in October last year the Darvall family moved from Melbourne to take up a new home in the south of Fremantle and a new studio for Jo Darvall in Pakenham Street Fremantle. Darvall exhibits paintings prints and an artist book at Kidogo this month.
The artist paintings depicts the Western Australian out back as a centre stage for images of fragile creatures to dance and perform a painted play on a big out back stage. Under huge skies birds are on the hunt, underneath a red landscape sprawls out, tattoo like images of roads disappear into the horizon. Its is here, in the West that Darvall begins a new study of the unique history of Perth and its surrounding places stumbling upon stories of discovery and tragedy under a blazing hot summer sun.
Included along with paintings in this exhibition is an Artist Book which is a collaboration with Darvall and celebrated playwright Jane Harrison, playing tribute to a fragile world. The Artist Book which has been exhibited at a notable public gallery in Melbourne will be exhibited here in Fremantle for the first time.
It began with a chance encounter at their children’s circus lesson in Melbourne and led to a unique collaboration. Artist Darvall has interpreted writer Harrison’s children’s fable, The butterfly, the bee, the moth and the rose, to create a sensitive and deeply revealing series of work.
The collaboration has resulted in the creation of an artists hand made book. Which is also a sculpture. It consists of French hand made paper folded in a concertina way attached to the gallery wall.
This is a book for kids and art lovers all at once, one can walk through the gallery reading Harrisons story whilst viewing an art work that stretches over ten meters.
Darvall says that an artist may only have one opportunity in ones creative lifetime to work with a brilliant writer such as Harrison. Quote ” I wanted to make the most of it. I was so excited by the book, her brilliant story.
The series, ‘A new beginning.. in the West,' is a dramatic example of Jo’s abiding interest in the nexus between nature and human life. As with her previous series, Black Moth and Dragonflies, Darvall incorporates detailed insect forms etched into the canvas over elaborately layered backgrounds.
Jo Darvall graduated in printmaking from the VCA at the National Gallery of Melbourne in 1989 and is one of three founding members of the Artists for Kids Culture Trust, which annually raises over $100,000 for disadvantaged children. Jo has been exhibiting since 1988, and has been selected twice to participate in the prestigious Williamstown Art Prize.
Jane Harrison is an award winning playwright (Stolen, Rainbow’s End, Blakvelvet) She contributed an essay to Just Words?: Australian Authors on Writing and Justice, and co-wrote an episode of the television series The Circuit, (SBS, 2007). The butterfly, the bee, the moth and the rose (Unpublished) is her first children’s picture book.
For more information on this media release please contact the artist on 0405 126 401