On Monday 4th of September the U3A Art Appreciation group was treated to a talk given by Arlene Textaqueen about her paintings that are on display in the Bennett Gallery. Arlene primarily works on paper with felt-tip marker pens commonly referred to as textas in Australia.
In this exhibition of works completed over some 15 years most of the subjects are nudes, although this is not immediately obvious. Some of Arlene's works have a cartoonish look to them. Some are of recent political figures and events. Some have very intricate backgrounds. Some refer to current political trends. There is one killer picture in the form of an Australian Newspaper front page in which Arlene sums up her philosophy and, it can be argued, sums up the intention of all her paintings in this exhibition. It is worth noting what Arlene says in this painting because it does have profound meaning and makes the viewer consider his or her own actions.
During the course of her talk Arlene admitted to being a shy person even though her work does not indicate this. The subjects of her paintings appear to be extroverts and each work has an optimistic outgoing feel to it. Some are confronting, but this is deliberate.
There are also some nude self-portraits set in the Australian landscape on display.
All in all this was a very interesting talk and we thank Bryony for bringing it to us.
The next Art Appreciation Group will be Monday 2nd October, 10am - "Colonial Afterlives" Speaker: Bryony Nainby Colonial Afterlives considers a range of contemporary responses to British colonisation from indigenous and diasporic artists living in Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, Britain and Canada. It incorporates a diversity of views ranging from melancholic eulogies to passionate and sometimes scathing commentaries on the complex legacies of British occupation.
Monday 6th November, 10am - "Two works by Heysen & Namatjira - Where is the Art?” Speaker Neville Gibb and artist (to be confirmed)
Neville Gibb
In this exhibition of works completed over some 15 years most of the subjects are nudes, although this is not immediately obvious. Some of Arlene's works have a cartoonish look to them. Some are of recent political figures and events. Some have very intricate backgrounds. Some refer to current political trends. There is one killer picture in the form of an Australian Newspaper front page in which Arlene sums up her philosophy and, it can be argued, sums up the intention of all her paintings in this exhibition. It is worth noting what Arlene says in this painting because it does have profound meaning and makes the viewer consider his or her own actions.
During the course of her talk Arlene admitted to being a shy person even though her work does not indicate this. The subjects of her paintings appear to be extroverts and each work has an optimistic outgoing feel to it. Some are confronting, but this is deliberate.
There are also some nude self-portraits set in the Australian landscape on display.
All in all this was a very interesting talk and we thank Bryony for bringing it to us.
The next Art Appreciation Group will be Monday 2nd October, 10am - "Colonial Afterlives" Speaker: Bryony Nainby Colonial Afterlives considers a range of contemporary responses to British colonisation from indigenous and diasporic artists living in Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, Britain and Canada. It incorporates a diversity of views ranging from melancholic eulogies to passionate and sometimes scathing commentaries on the complex legacies of British occupation.
Monday 6th November, 10am - "Two works by Heysen & Namatjira - Where is the Art?” Speaker Neville Gibb and artist (to be confirmed)
Neville Gibb
