Event Type: Exhibitions

Presented by Mark Lleonart

Daily opening times:

3 – 27 August, 2023

9:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Variations to Daily Opening Times :

Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 5 pm.

Except Saturday 5 th August 9 am until 6 pm.

Step into a world of tree climbing lobsters, mischievous echidnas, quirky street art, palm frond sculptures … and a musical flower cart.

With a degree in zoology and PhD in marine science my art practice is informed by the natural world, its inhabitants, and issues relating to these. Conservation themes and aspects of biology I find amusing or fascinating are topics of my art as, is the way we humans view our fellow life-forms. My major art & philosophic influences are David Attenborough, Charles Darwin and Dr Seuss.

The exhibition ranges over a diversity of media, playfully depicting native, non-native and imaginary fauna, vegetables & flowers … and through a combination of art and science: singing plants.

Incongruous echidnas and the occasional marsupial mess with European art still life tropes; “street art” fence paling works sit alongside sculptures combining storm-tossed palm fronds and tip-shop finds. There are unlikely signs (welcome to the Bahamas Dugong Polo Club) and adjustable gauges to monitor the performance of one’s vegetables!

In recent years my art practice has expanded from painting on canvas, painting on timber, and sculpture to interactive kinetic art using light, sound and occasionally vegetables. My plant music art is intended to bring the audience closer to the vegetal world through a mix of science, art & music. Variations have been exhibited in Science festivals and the parks of Hobart during summer.

Presented by Tasmanian Ceramics Association

Opening Event:

Aug 3, 2023 – 6pm

Daily opening times:

Aug 3, 2023 – Aug 21, 2023

10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Variations to Daily Opening Times :

21st August closing at 1pm

To evolve – to develop gradually by a natural process.

Over time ceramics has seen a phenomenal evolution – from the simplest of forms used in

functional vessels by our earliest ancestors to the modern-day interpretations of

contemporary art. Today we use much the same processes to turn earth into baked clay.

Evolved – the 2023 TCA 51 st Annual Members Exhibition, encourages its members to take

inspiration from all areas of ceramics – sculptural, imaginative, and functional, to showcase

the extensive and diverse methods that today’s ceramicist uses to express creativity across

our island.

Presented by Scott Livesey Galleries

3 – 13 August 2023

OPENING NIGHT

Aug 4, 2023 – 6pm

RSVP ESSENTIAL: info@scottliveseygalleries.com

OPENING HOURS

10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Variations to Daily Opening Times :

3 August, 12-5pm

13 August, 10am-2pm

Jennifer Riddle’s atmospheric landscapes depicting the remote Southwest wilderness of Tasmania. Driven by her relationship with nature, Riddle conveys a sense of intimacy, awe, and connection through the ephemeral sublimity of light and weather on the land. Riddle was the 2022 winner of the prestigious landscape art award, Glover Prize.

This exhibition draws upon what our world has lost and forgotten – opening up conversations surrounding our most ancient and rare landscapes and the emotional impact of their presence in the context of today’s rapidly changing world. With concerns surrounding humanities growing disconnection from our natural world and the growing vulnerability of wilderness landscapes, I aim to evoke a sense of unity and peaceful harmony, reuniting our innate relationships with the sublime and humbling landscapes of Bathurst Harbour and Port Davey in Tasmania’s remote Southwest.

I’ve been returning to this region, studying the light, changing weather conditions and observing the unique geological and ecological presence that pulses

throughout this time-weathered land for over eight years. Each return visit births a series of new paintings,

deepening my love, appreciation, and emotional connection to this place. Through this ongoing relationship, I focus on the silent atmospheric beauty that hangs in the air – the same transcendental awe that has helped me through a time of loss, enriching my spiritual growth and informing my art practice for the past two decades. It is here, in these quiet moments, where I’ve found myself deepening my senses to the volume of air before me – surging an awareness no longer of oneself but a consciousness that extends well beyond.

Through this connection, I hope to create an informed representation that evokes a sense of place – honouring this land’s past and the deepening vulnerability of the wilderness landscape as we grapple with the realities of climate change on our most precious environments. With sentiments surrounding our innate connection with nature and the importance of strengthening this relationship, I reflect on this land’s ancestral heritage and acknowledge the traditional owners of this country, the Needwoonee and Ninunee Peoples and their deep reciprocal relationship with the Land, Sea, Waterways, Sky and Culture.

As this landscape confronts a new dawn in its long history, I examine the intensity of emotions that have surfaced collectively during the recent epochal events

surrounding global warming and the lockdowns of the Covid-19 pandemic. As the flaws of high-density urban living and our growing segregation from green living spaces revealed our collective innate response to seek nature and slow our rhythms in its presence. As a result, our national parks, beaches, and bush trails became a refuge from their urban confines – exposing our primal need to escape and immerse ourselves within its natural beauty. A sense of realisation filtered through the chaos and mayhem, and our need to be with nature became the clarity from which we found hope.

Today, more and more studies confirm what many cultures have known for thousands of years, in that we are a part of nature, not separate from it, and immersing in a natural environment provides health benefits to both our physical and mental well-being—proving how imperative it is to rethink how we live our lives, not only for the health of ourselves but for the health of our future generations and our most vulnerable species and ecosystems that inhabit this great earth.

Through empirical observations, empathy and love for this raw and rare wilderness, I hope to provide a soulful space within these paintings. One that offers a quiet place beyond the foreground and into the depths of the horizon, illuminating lost memories and renewing the innate threads that bind us to this earth and together.

Presented by David Hearne

Daily opening times:
13 – 16 July, 2023
10am – 4pm

Medieval Madness gone rogue in the Tasmanian Gothic

Tasmanian Gothic is a cliché of fantasy, surrealism, modernism, appropriation, abstraction and expressionism mashed together into a contemporary vulgarity. This vulgarity is defined by the question, has anything changed since the medieval times?

These cliched movements and themes have been pummelled together and placed on a broadsheet that is suggestive of the current and contemporary Tasmanian landscape (figuratively and metaphorically). A Gothic element of decay and horror is fused into that landscape through its subject matter which is full of medieval inklings. Literary evocations of stalked and baked creatures fuelled by the works of Lord Byron’s (Darkness) and Mary Shelley’s (Frankenstein) litter the picture plane. On occasion the players have left the scape and melted into abstraction and tactile formalism. To enhance the horror and repugnance, anti-processes and anti-techniques have been successfully and unsuccessfully explored through risk and experimentation.

When dark and surreal imagery explore the darker aspects of life the unbridled and innate pessimism of a peasant painter screams out for a deeper meaning to the term Tasmanian Gothic.  As life imitates art and art imitates life, the fall and broken nature of the characters throughout these scapes, are all faced with or have faced sin and temptation. It is we who mirror this same fear and terror in our own making of this new contemporary Tasmanian Gothic.

Jonny Scholes

20 July – 1 August 2023


Opening event:

July 20 – 5.30pm

Daily Opening Times :

Monday-Thursday: 10:00am-4:00pm

Fridays: 10:00am-5:30pm

Saturdays: 10:00am-3:00pm

Sundays: CLOSED (open by appointment)

‘Interpreted’ is a series of woven tapestries portraying a year’s worth of global news as seen through the eyes of artificial intelligence (AI).

‘Interpreted’ is a series of woven tapestries portraying a year’s worth of global news as seen through the eyes of artificial intelligence (AI).

With a gaze fixed on the future, ‘Interpreted’ has its roots in the past. Since medieval times, woven tapestries have been used to record significant events. They portrayed truth as seen by the powers that commissioned them, and often contained mistakes made by weavers. The makers of AI products also have their own biases and ulterior motivations, which are invisible to the consumer. They, too, can make mistakes. With the use of AI tools growing at an alarming rate, ‘Interpreted’ raises timely questions about how facts are gathered, curated and presented to us in the new world we already inhabit.

Although the exhibition consists of physical tapestries, at its core ‘Interpreted’ is a new media project. Drawing on a decade of experience as a software developer, Scholes has created an automated program which continually reviews all news articles as they are published around the world. An AI tool is employed to create a single image that represents each day. Using generative art techniques, the days are collected into months, and incorporated into a unique tapestry design. The result is autonomously sent off to be woven and eventually delivered by post to Jonny Scholes’ studio.

‘Interpreted’ attempts to illustrate the erosion of information as it is captured, distilled and re-disseminated. To understand the works in this exhibition, the viewer must unpick each piece with a critical eye. There are potential inaccuracies at every step – commissioner, maker, distributor and consumer all play a hand. Scholes’ exhibition asks us to consider how the artificial curation of information will impact our future years, days or minutes – and whether we are happy for AI to become a core part of the way we record our history.

Step into the mesmerizing world of Tasmania’s Colonial and Federation period, where art, history, and symbolism intertwine to shed light on the aspirations, and interactions of individuals during a transformative era of exoticism, identity quest, and societal change..

Delve into the emotions and aspirations of Tasmania’s residents during this transformative era, where  the allure of the unknown opportunity were intertwined with the quest for a distinct Australian identity. Through a fusion of art, history, and symbolism, this exhibit sheds light on the complex lives and interactions of individuals during a time of great change.

Dominating the space is a sketch of an 11 metre tall Palm tree (Canary Date Palm Phoenix Canariensis), standing as a symbol of the allure and mystique associated with the faraway colonies. These non-native Palm trees, thriving amidst Georgian and Federation buildings, evoke a sense of foreign aesthetics that captivated the imaginations of European observers. Planted over a century ago, likely from seeds sourced from the Botanical Gardens, they now embody the visions of those who meticulously tended to them. At the base of the Palm tree, a collage reminiscent of 19th-century wallpaper depicts exotic motifs that were popular during that period.

An architectural marvel featured in this exhibition is the Trinity Chapel building in Brisbane street Hobart, which witnessed multiple transformations—from army and convict barracks to a prison and court. This structure exemplifies the aspirations of many to create an ordered and refined life in Tasmania, even amidst the chaotic and occasionally violent circumstances. Nestled amidst the breathtaking natural beauty and Georgian elegance, Trinity Chapel becomes a poignant symbol of the pursuit of a better future.

Beyond the realm of history and architecture, the exhibition hints at themes of choice, personal relationships, growth, and identity. It acknowledges the role of tourism in shaping Tasmanian society, where early settlers embarked on leisurely trips up the Derwent River to New Norfolk, basking in the scenic vistas and embracing a sense of relaxation. The closure of Port Arthur in 1877 propelled it into a popular tourist destination, solidifying the long-standing connection between tourism and places of suffering. This fascination with dark tourism, prevalent in Europe until the late 1800s, persists today, with ghost and prison tours captivating audiences worldwide.

Tourism allows for contemplation of the built and natural environment, fostering a deeper understanding of the past and shaping individual and collective identities. It becomes a lens through which social structures and hierarchies are observed and evaluated. Drawing inspiration from the grand European tours, originally undertaken by idle aristocrats but later embraced by the middle and upper lower classes, tourists partake in customs and acquire “relics” that define their experiences. These judgments manifest through clothing choices, accents, manners, and the depth of engagement with the surroundings.

The exhibition also explores the phenomenon of artefact and memento collection, an enduring tradition in tourism that continues to resonate worldwide. However, this practice has led to the depletion of natural resources, such as shells on beaches and historic convict bricks, and the influx of low-quality imported products, diminishing the significance of genuine artefacts. Amidst this discussion, a group of ambiguous figures symbolises the complexities of human interaction and affections, inviting viewers to reflect upon the intricate dynamics at play.

The term ‘black swan’ meaning an unlikely or impossible occurrence is used here

As part of this experience, the exhibit  offers a little Trinity Chapel paper model, following the tradition of tasteful tourist mementos, these provide an opportunity for reflection on one’s journey and make perfect gifts for those who were unable to attend the exhibition but wish to capture its essence. Available for renowned French Loire Valley castles and major European cathedrals, these educational and portable keepsakes offer a tangible memory of a visit to Hobart Town.  

References:

“Tourists” by Lucy Lethbridge

“Hobart Town” by Peter Bolger

“Van Diemen’s Land” by James Boyce

Materials: Cartridge paper, watercolour, transparent film, LED lighting 

Model kit available at Miss Bond Salamanca and National Trust Penitentiary Chapel Site Campbell. Street Hobart $22

Presented by Amalea Smolcic

Opening times:

Friday 30 June – Sunday 30 July 2023

Sunday – Thursday 10am – 5pm
Friday – Saturday 10am – 6pm

This exhibition addresses portraiture as a form of self-expression.

I am Amalea Smolcic, a twenty-six-year-old artist living on a farm in Richmond. The environment I inhabit influences my creative process, and I draw inspiration from the picturesque beauty of the land. To me, life is more than a mere transaction with time, it requires a touch of grit, and playfulness.

This body of work delves into the portraits of fifty strangers, seeking to capture the essence of being human—our thoughts, emotions, and dreams. Instead of fixating on appearances, I explore the imaginative side of what a face represents to me, though my own lens. I strive to break down the bias that separates strangers from our loved ones, recognizing the importance and inherent goodness in every person.

The fifty canvases are arranged randomly, echoing the arbitrary nature of their selection. Each portrait stands as a unique entity while contributing to the interconnectedness shared by everyone. Colour and light take precedence over realism in my work, transcending the confines of shadows and illusions. By embracing spontaneity in material selection, I allow for the unfettered expression of artistic freedom.

Daily opening times:

30 June – 27 August 2023
9AM-5PM

Showcase of Tasmanian Art Teachers artistic practice

The TATA Teachers Exhibition showcases the work of Tasmanian professional artists who work or have previously worked in the state as art teachers. As art teachers, who also engage in their own arts practice, there is an ebb and flow of time and space.

TATA recognises the importance of encouraging and giving art teachers the opportunities to take the time to engage in their own art practice. An essential component of a practicing artist-art teachers’ process is art making.

It enhances art teaching practices and processes and provides rich arts learning opportunities for students. Through its Teacher Exhibition, TATA aims to share the rich and diverse range of practicing artist art teachers we have in the state.

Daily opening times:
15 – 27 June, 2023
10am – 4pm

Immerse yourself in the beauty of winter seas, with this latest collection of abstract seascape paintings by Hannah Blackmore.

The Sidespace Gallery at Salamanca Arts Centre is proud to present Winter Wild, a new exhibition of abstract seascape paintings by fine artist Hannah Blackmore. Running from June 14th to June 27th, the exhibition showcases textured paintings that capture the moods of the Tasmanian coastline.

“My work focuses on the interplay of light and texture, as I seek to capture the ever-changing moods of the ocean. Drawing on my experiences along the Tasmanian coastline, my paintings convey a sense of energy, movement, and natural beauty.

I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to share my work with the Hobart community. The Tasmanian coastline has been a huge inspiration for me, and I hope my paintings capture some of the wild and unpredictable beauty of this incredible landscape. Winter Wild is a celebration of the natural world and the wonder of the ocean, and I hope it will inspire viewers to connect with the beauty of the Tasmanian coast.”

Winter Wild is a must-see exhibition for art lovers, nature enthusiasts, and anyone interested in exploring the intersection of light and texture. The exhibition will be open to the public from 10 am to 4 pm daily.

Daily opening times:
7 – 12 June, 2023
10am – 4pm

Annual group art exhibition by members of Jackson Studio.

Jackson Studio proudly presents Jacksonism, an annual group art exhibition by adult art students and artists ranging in age from early 20s through to 80s. Our official opening will be by Hobart Artist, Kichikoo on Thursday 8 June at 6pm with Welcome to Country by Belinda Casey and music by Alex Buktenica and will be up until 4pm, 12 June.

Jackson artists vary from complete beginners through to experienced painters and we meet in groups (seven times a week) to explore art through a different artist and style each week. I research artists and provide videos and art exercises for everyone at the start of each session – we explore a diverse range of art from all over the world and throughout different eras, which stimulates conversation and can be a great inspiration for everyone’s artistic endeavours. After this activity everyone is free to get on with their own work for the rest of the session.

Everyone at Jackson is encouraged to find their way – to experiment and develop their own styles, and bounce ideas off each other. Our motto is “feel the fear and do it anyway!”. We keep in touch via a Facebook group, sharing our work and ideas and all meet annually at our exhibition.

Known as “The Jacksonites” there is a shared camaraderie between all attendees, even those who haven’t yet met! As we have studied so many art movements and styles – a lot of “isms” over the years, I have coined the title for our show – Jacksonism, which is intended to mean artistic freedom.

For some of our artists, this is their first experience of exhibiting. This year we have a big range of subject matter, genres and mediums -oils, acrylics, watercolours and more, with prices ranging from approximately $200 – $1500 – there’s something for everyone.

There will be a number and a QR code next to each painting in our show – the number will relate to our catalogue, available as you enter the gallery, and the QR code will take you to Jackson’s website to read statements provided by our artists. Please ask one of our friendly gallery attendants if you have any queries at all.

Jacksonism includes the Carolyn Bonny Memorial Art Prize, sponsored by Artery – the winner of the prize will be announced at our opening.

This year is Jackson’s 10th anniversary, and our 6th group exhibition. Having started with four people on a Saturday morning in 2013, we have grown to over 60, with 153 in our Facebook group and participating exhibitors are thrilled to present our work to you at the Sidespace Gallery, Salamanca Arts Centre. The show will run from 7 – 12 June.

I am incredibly proud of all my members and the enthusiastic culture we have created and foster together at Jackson. This year’s exhibition coincides with our tenth year of operating (in one form or another) and I hope to continue working with everyone well into the future.

Thank you for your interest in our artistic explorations – I hope you enjoy it all and, if you are interested in joining us, please contact me through our website.

Sarah Weaver, Artist and Art Tutor, Jackson Studio

www.jacksonstudio.net