Event Type: Kid Friendly

Presented by Tasmanian Ceramics Association

A snapshot of ceramicist the late John Watson (d.2017), revealing his distinctive architectural style of handbuilt and  slipcast sculptural forms, often raku fired.

The Tasmanian Ceramics Association’s concurrent exhibition in Off Centre’s Microgallery  (featuring John’s forms) is to establish a legacy fund in John’s name.

John Watson was a builder in various guises for much of his adult life, only taking up ceramics in his 60’s.

A fair amount of mudbrick building led him to clay. A two-year Ceramics Diploma course in Canberra (2000/2001) and – on his return to Tasmania – a part-time job as the ceramics technician for TAFE & Adult Education.

As John honed his slip-casting and hand-building skills, he developed a unique style and began selling a range of work through the artists’ cooperative, Off Centre.

John’s keen interest in ceramics manifested itself in many volunteer roles. He was a much valued and committed member of the TCA, serving as President for a time and the driving force behind many activities – especially his popular raku workshops.

John’s strong architectural forms revealed his keen sense of design, winning him many awards at TCA exhibitions, and a dedicated fan base.

John was a much loved and well-respected teacher and colleague who gave his knowledge and time generously. John’s sudden passing in 2017 was a huge blow to the ceramic’s community.

The LIGHTBOX exhibition is a tribute to John, showcasing a collection of his work, photographs of him in the studio, at workshops, and his creations.

Following John’s death, the TCA committee decided to create a legacy fund to commemorate John’s significant contribution to Tasmanian ceramics. A programme of workshops was developed whereby students and colleagues who’d worked alongside John were given the opportunity to work with casts of his iconic forms. Several new and vibrant sculptures emerged – prompted by his architectural forms. Participants were encouraged think differently and experiment with unfamiliar materials and techniques. John’s touch is present in each of the art works created. Amazing echoes reverberate through the exhibits as familiar elements are reimagined and made new.

Creations from these workshops are presently on show in Off Centre’s Microgallery, in two parts – October 6th-19th and the 20th October until November 2nd.

Thanks to all the artists who have generously donated their time and artworks. The proceeds of sales will go towards funding future projects in John Watson’s name.

Daily opening times:
3 – 13 November, 2023
10am – 4pm

Variation to opening times:

On Monday 6 November, the exhibition will open from 1pm to 4pm.

On Thursday 9 November, the exhibition will be open from 12 noon to 4pm.

Uninnocent Landscapes is a research-based photographic investigation into the impact of invasion and dispossession on the landscape of Lutruwita/Tasmania, and the artist’s standing as a non-Indigenous person on this colonised land.

Uninnocent landscapes is a research-based photographic investigation into the impact of invasion, colonisation and dispossession on the landscape of Lutruwita/Tasmania. Without invasion and the near destruction of Lutruwita’s First People, I would not have had the opportunity to lead the rich and fulfilling life I have experienced on this island. This is a reality that, as much as we might try to ignore it, non-Indigenous Tasmanians cannot escape. How do we come to terms with our privilege and its Janus face, the violent and continuing dispossession of Palawa and Pakana.

Ten years in conception, Uninnocent Landscapes is the result of two years combining landscape photography and historical enquiry, seeking answers to the myriad questions that I found myself asking as I traced the path of George Augustus Robinson’s 1831 Big River Mission. Robinson’s ‘missions’ resulted in the removal of Lutruwita’s First People to exile at Wybalenna on Flinders Island. The questions I found myself asking included: What memories to the landscapes of Lutruwita hold? What stories are embedded in the rocks, the trees and grasses, the waters of rivers and lakes? What could the landscape tell me about invasion and the attempted destruction of First Peoples life and culture? What could it tell us about our own lives here on this island?

With Chelsea Watego’s observation that ‘on any given day, in any given place, you can guarantee that most if not all colonisers have no idea whose land they are walking, working or talking on’ (Another Day in the Colony, UQP, 2021) in mind, I sought to know this island and its First Peoples more deeply, to acknowledge their story of tens of thousands of years on this land. I do not attempt to provide a Palawa history of Lutruwita – that would be both inappropriate and impossible. Rather, the project uses monochrome photography paired with quotes from Robinson’s journals to tell one truth of our shared history and documents one of its impact on the land.

All proceeds from this exhibition and the accompanying book will be donated to the Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania’s Giving Land Back fund. Giving Land Back, or donating to the fund, is one way everyone can help, knowing that land will be owned by the whole Aboriginal Community in perpetuity. You can find the Giving Land Back Program at https://www.givinglandback.org/ 

Presented by Sean O’Connell

Daily opening times:

October 6 – 15, 2023

11am – 6pm

An exploration of hidden realms within the Central Plateau, as experienced by electrons moving through the internal structure of matter, revealed in image and sound.

Portals explores hidden energies and pathways within the humble materials that make up the grand landscape of Tasmania’s Central Plateau. Using electricity as the conduit, an alternate understanding of the environment is unfolded, energetically, from within the intimate interior realms of matter. These elements include dolerite rock brought to the surface and worn by wind and ice, limbs of snow gum slowly grown in the rocky ground, pale clumps of forking branched lichen, vials of cool clear tarn water, and decaying fragments and remnants from past human habitation.

The exhibition explores these samples, through electricity, in backlit images on analog photographic film, in collected samples from the environment, and in small sonic oscillators that use these same materials within their electronic circuitry. This exploration opens up alternate possibilities, and suggests an understanding of something unknown, as matter and electricity converse, to reveal hidden pathways within the mysterious highland landscape.

Opening event: October 13, 5pm

Daily opening times:
5 – 24 October, 2023
Monday – Friday 10am – 4pm / Saturdays 11am-3pm / Sundays CLOSED

Phillip England explores the nature of the photograph as image object using the arcane, wet plate collodion tintype photographic process, which draws attention to its own materiality as much as it does to the subject in front of the lens.

In IMAGE / OBJECT Phillip England explores the nature of the photograph as image object, using a medium that draws attention to the physical photograph itself as much as it does to the photographic subject, subverting our tendency to confuse the two.

The tintype, also called the ferrotype or melainotype, was invented in 1856. It consists of a thin layer of photographic emulsion (traditionally collodion) coated onto a blackened sheet of metal. This plate is exposed directly in the camera and developed immediately while still wet. The resulting negative image appears positive against the black support.

The tintype greatly democratised photography because it facilitated, for the first time since the invention of photography, the production of cheap and durable photographic portraits and scenes.

The 21st century revival of the wetplate collodion tintype technique exemplifies a reaction to the digital, high-tech “perfection” of contemporary photography and represents a return to authentic, hand crafted, analogue image making. The beguiling materiality of a tintype is rarely encountered in modern photography.

The arcane, antique chemical process of tintypes renders contemporary subjects with an altered psychology of space. Tintype portraits in particular have an arresting power that haunts. The long exposure times Phillip uses force the sitter to concentrate on their own stillness and gaze, investing the photo portrait with gravitas and an ineffable aura.

With the works in this exhibition, Phillip investigates the potential of analogue photographic techniques, which once were so potent, precious and ceremonial, to say something new, important and alchemical in an age of ubiquitous digital and infinitely computer-manipulatable imagery.

The works comprising IMAGE / OBJECT span the eight years the artist has been practicing this technique and include still lifes, landscapes and portraits.

Presented by Anna Brooks

Daily opening times:

September 21 – October 2, 2023

9.30am – 5pm
Closing at 2pm on October 2

This exhibition explores the impact of bushfire on vegetation and landscapes and aims to evoke a sense of ecological distress.

I have tried to distil my own experiences of being in burnt areas… charred trunks, blackened soils, smoke-laden air, and the ground naked of vegetation so that the rocks and geology show more definitively.  For me, burned landscapes evoke a sense of loss and sadness, of unease at the known world made unfamiliar, and empathy for the burned and maimed trees.

Australia is one of the most bushfire-prone continents and bushfires are culturally and environmentally significant.  In south-eastern Australia, the frequency and intensity of fires has increased since the 1950s and scientists predict this increase will continue due to climate change.  News stories focus on the effect of fires on people.  However, frequent and severe bushfires also seriously alter natural ecosystems, and will likely contribute to loss of species, and reduced genetic diversity.

Presented by O’Grady Drama Hobart’s On Cue Ensemble

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Times and dates:

Thursday 21st September  –  6.00pm
Friday 22nd September  – 7.30pm
Saturday 23rd September  – 2.00pm & 6.00pm
Sunday 24th September  –  11.00am

Tickets:

General Admission: $15 (+BF)

Working with Chris Hamley & Katharine Hamley (theatre producers and O’Grady Drama Principals) and following superb performances of ‘Lemon’, ‘Prickly Love’, ‘Duty Free’ and ‘Colosseum’, our 2023 Ensemble perform this show as their major annual production. Our senior drama students showcase their developing performance skills in a true theatrical environment for this public season of shows at Hobart’s Peacock Theatre.
 

Our Ensemble have been working collaboratively for the past 6 months to present this show as a display of their dedication, talent and passion for the performing arts. We hope you’ll join us for this delightful family play in support of our fabulous students.

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Presented by Stitching and Beyond Inc

Opening times:
22 Sept – 2 Oct, 2023
10-4pm

Exceptions
Monday 2 Oct 10.00 am – 3.00 pm

Stitching and Beyond’s biennial exhibition celebrating the creative works of its members.

An exhibition by members of Stitching and Beyond showcasing the diverse and innovative approaches members have to fibre and textile arts. Stitching and Beyond is a diverse group of textile artists exploring innovative approaches to textiles, fibre and mixed media arts. The exhibition is inclusive and open to all Stitching and Beyond members, whether they be professional or amateur artists.

Textile art in all its forms will be on display, including functional, decorative, fine and wearable works. A Curator’s and 6 People’s Choice awards are on offer. Visitors can enjoy live demonstrations and member attendants will be on hand to assist with visitor queries regarding exhibitors and their works, fibre art processes and practices, and group membership.

The popular ‘Member Challenge’ pieces for 2022 and 2023 will be displayed alongside the exhibition. In 2022 the theme was ‘Threads of Life’ and in 2023 it was ‘Under the Microscope’. The 2022 Challenge pieces will be returning from its year travelling around regional Tasmania and the 2023 exhibit will be beginning its journey around the state.

Presented by Stitching and Beyond Inc

A wonderful display of colourful and creative birds created by members of Stitching and Beyond to herald the coming of our Biennial Out of Hand exhibition.

Every two years Stitching and Beyond hold an exhibition to showcase the wonderful work of its member textile artists. Stitching and Beyond is a diverse group of textile artists exploring innovative approaches to textiles, fibre and mixed media arts. The Out of Hand exhibition is inclusive and open to all Stitching and Beyond members, whether they be professional or amateur artists.

Leading up to the Out of Hand exhibition, Stitching and Beyond create a themed display for the LightBox to help promote the exhibition. In 2023 the theme is Birds. This theme came about because many of our members were creating such beautiful birds and we decided that they needed to be displayed. The birds and nests on display are created from a variety of techniques and materials. Many are made from recycled fabric and other materials.

Presented by Jay Sykes

Opening event:

31 August 2023, 6:00PM

Daily opening times:

1 – 25 September, 2023

10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Variations to Daily Opening Times :

Closed Sundays

“In and Out of Focus” addresses emotion, visual impairment, memory and landscape, presenting oil paintings of Tasmanian scenes that are both emotionally in and visually out of focus.

“In and Out of Focus” addresses emotion, visual impairment, memory and landscape. The pieces involved are both emotionally in and visually out of focus – the brushstrokes are intended the capture the enigmatic ‘feel’ of a landscape, where as the departure from realism hints at the fuzzy appearance of a scene viewed without visual aids.

The medium of oils was chosen because of its tendency to build a three-dimensional surface for a two-dimensional work, lending a kind of realism to even extremely abstract depictions. Oil paint also has the advantage of extremely evident brushstrokes, which have been executed differently for each landscape to represent the emotional quality of the place. This technique also hints at the ‘texture’ with which short-sighted eyes perceive the world around them, which is always the impression left in the artist’s brain.

Among complete paintings are unfinished works, ‘fallen’ to the floor, some with only a fraction of the canvas covered in paint. This is intended to add to the impression that the exhibition occurs somewhere within the artist’s mind, the unfinished pieces representing the degradation of memory over time.

Daily opening times:
1 – 30 September, 2023
10am – 4pm

A contemplative journey of abstract landscape paintings by Hannah Blackmore.

In the hustle and bustle of our modern lives, we often find ourselves yearning for moments of serenity, for a chance to pause, and simply breathe. In Breathe, my upcoming exhibition of contemplative landscapes, I draw inspiration from the principles of minimalism, embracing the notion of creating space by shedding the superfluous and embracing what truly matters.

Within the canvas, I strive to capture the essence of calmness, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in a tranquil world where simplicity reigns supreme. Through my exploration of landscapes and seascapes, I seek to liberate the viewer’s mind by introducing ample white space, providing room for contemplation and introspection.

Warm, neutral tones and pristine whites become the focal point of my latest body of work, as I embark on a journey away from vivid blues. I eagerly delve into new techniques, refining my palette knife work to create textural intricacies and employing pencils to introduce delicate linear marks that dance across the surface.

Every stroke, every shade is carefully orchestrated to evoke a profound emotional connection with the audience, guiding them towards an oasis of inner peace. The absence of explicit geographical references allows each viewer to weave their own narrative, transcending physical locations to reach a realm of pure emotion and self-reflection.

As I draw inspiration from the ethereal Tasmanian light that has captivated my senses since my arrival, the paintings radiate with a subtle familiarity, an echo of the tranquillity that resides in the depths of nature. Organic shapes and layered compositions, constructed through thin washes of paint, form the foundation of each piece. Gradually, the paintings unfold into areas of thicker palette knife work, beckoning the viewer to embark on a journey of intrigue and exploration.

Within these contemplative landscapes, a profound sense of solitude beckons, inviting the viewer to stand in that space, peer into the horizon, and connect with their own inner stillness. Each artwork becomes a portal to escape the relentless cacophony of the outside world, offering solace and an opportunity to reconnect with the essence of existence.

Breathe is an invitation to let go, to release the burdens that weigh us down, and to immerse ourselves in the purity of simplicity. It is a reminder that amidst the chaotic hum of life, we can always find moments of tranquillity if we pause, take a breath, and embrace the space within.

Join me on this contemplative journey through abstract landscapes, and together, let us find solace in the art of breathing.