Event Type: Kid Friendly

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.

Presented by Rick Crossland

Daily opening times:

September 7 – 18, 2023

9am – 6pm

“A diverse collection of images that suddenly caught my eye, that I found beautiful, transformed by the light and atmosphere at that time. The scene can change ‘In the Blink of an Eye’ but in my paintings I try to catch an impression, a memory of time and place.”

Whilst trying my luck at fishing on a family holiday on Flinders Island I caught sight of the late afternoon light on the waves. It was breathtaking. I dropped the rod and ran to the car to grab my easel and painting gear to record the image before the light changed. I had to work fast as the sun dropped behind the dunes at the back of the beach. ‘In the Blink of an Eye’ the scene had changed but luckily, I had caught an impression, a memory, a feeling of that particular time and place.

This exhibition is a collection of plein air work done over the year at various places, coastal, rural and urban in Tasmania, including Flinders Island. Despite the many challenges of plein air painting – fickle weather, tides that can’t be controlled, light that is always changing and curious passers-by, I prefer to paint in front of my subject. All the answers are there in front of you, you see people and stuff you just can’t invent. It’s always about the effects of light. I must work fast to capture the image before the conditions change and for that reason, most of my paintings in the exhibition will be small. However, some of the collection will be larger paintings that required repeat visits to the same location, when the conditions were similar.

The subjects are diverse, images that suddenly caught my eye, that I found beautiful, transformed by the light and atmosphere at that time. I want to convey to the viewer the real colours, mood and feeling of the place or object. The way I paint is very challenging. However, I love it and get tremendous joy when others connect with my paintings and ‘see’.

Presented by Margaret Skowronski

Daily opening times:

August 24 – September 4, 2023

10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

In this exhibition I show a variety of calligraphy images in Sumi ink (2014 – 2023) full of suggestions, hints of nature, animals and human forms – often elusive, partly revealed, but mostly concealed so that they just tug at the viewer`s imagination.

Inspired by travelling to Japan and China I present my unique way of exploring art calligraphy with freedom of expression and subconscious artistic interpretation of feelings emerging in my soul in response to unrest in the world and the ever-changing Universe.

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.