Vessels in the slow lane at Form
There are two new shows on at Form Studio and Gallery in Queanbeyan: in Vessel, by Jenny Manning, the focus is on the container or vessel and its relevance to human culture. "Through a variety of processes, from drawing and painting to coiling and ceramic decoration, I have created works that use pattern and form to reference the decorative aesthetic of Islamic, Mayan, Jomon or Navaho cultures," she says. In Life in the Slow Lane, Maxine Price and Kate Hine present ceramic figurative sculptures and works on paper that seek out the more contemplative side of life because, as Price says, "understanding and appreciating art takes time – it cannot be rushed". Hine, for her part, has spent years "slowly sifting through memories of a wartime childhood, of mothers, daughters, sisters and, in particular, looking at the role of families and how they coped during and after World War II". Vessels, by Jenny Manning, and Life in the Slow Lane, by Maxine Price and Kate Hine, are showing at Form Studio and Gallery, 1/30 Aurora Avenue, Queanbeyan, until May 10.
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Port Moresby at PhotoAccess
Photographer Sean Davey has spent the last decade visiting Papua New Guinea, and has built up a series of images that present a "deeply personal look at the country, which contrasts strongly with images we're used to seeing in the mainstream media". In this exhibition, which falls on the 40th anniversary of PNG's independence, Davey highlights his process as a photographer, "presenting intimate contact prints (small photographs), sketchbooks and collaged images. It's an exhibition that deals honestly and openly with photographic process, and with Davey's experiences in PNG". Port Moresby / Second Contact, by Sean Davey, opens on Thursday, April 30, at PhotoAccess, Huw Davies Gallery, Manuka Arts Centre, Manuka Circle, Griffith, and shows until May 24.
Free Power House tour
One thing that happened here was the grand opening of what is now Canberra's oldest building, the Kingston Power House, which now houses the Canberra Glassworks. "Designed by John Smith Murdoch, this building was the heartbeat of Canberra in its early years. It powered the development of this built city, housed its telecommunications system and provided employment for many people across the region. Canberrans enjoyed the spoils of the boiler that warmed the nearby swimming hole in the Molongolo River and set their lives by the whistle daily." The Glassworks is hosting a free tour on Saturday mornings from 11am, taking visitors through the building, exposing some of its historic features and some creative contemporary glass additions. For more information, phone 6260 7005 or see canberraglassworks.com.
Stretch Marks of the Universe
Shh! Don't talk of such things, Tommy Balogh! Oh, it's the name of an exhibition? "An ambitious exhibition of contemporary abstract paintings"? Tell us more. "The show represents a turning point in my career," the artist says. "I am now immersing the viewer. Stretch Marks of the Universe celebrates the colourful patterns of existence through the mechanics of painting. I submit the viewer to natural forces and the melted macro of the universe." Sound intriguing? Stretch Marks of the Universe, by Tommy Balogh, opens at Nishi Gallery, 17 Kendall Lane, NewActon on April 27 and runs until May 3. Balogh will be painting live on May 1-2.
Birds, Beasts and Beauty at Strathnairn
The ACT Porcelain Artists Association is showing works at Strathnairn for the next couple of weeks – a collection of porcelain art using both modern and traditional techniques, with more than 180 works on display. "Each of our artists expresses their ideas in an individual manner," the association says. "Some spend weeks capturing the beauty of a single rose or the blush on a young girl's face. For some, the challenge is to portray the essence of the animal or bird and catch it in that one moment that expresses its beauty of form and movement. Other painters convey their ideas in a more stylised form and see beauty in a line or a shape or a colour. For all, it is weeks of planning, painting and firing multiple times before the finished work is ready." There will be works for sale, and exhibitors will give demonstrations each Saturday at 2pm.
Print, glorious print at M16
M16 Artspace has three shows that explore different aspects of print as an artistic medium. In Unconflicted, staff and members of Megalo Print Studio, including Ingeborg Hansen, Erica Seccombe and Peter Jordan, present work showing "the technical and conceptual skill of the artists involved, as well as the diversity and quality of contemporary, local printmaking practice". In Artifish/Artifice, Ned Hatch examines the fish motif. "Each work explores movement, fluidity, colour and patterns that form kaleidoscope and Mandala-like structures." In Sticks and Stones, Canberra-based artist Gina Wyatt explores aspects of the physical world, using collage and monoprint, many based around drawings of water and grasses. All three exhibitions are showing at M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith, until May 3.
In My Eyes at the Q
The late Graham Shinnick was a former police officer who began painting later in life, teaching himself oils and building up a repertoire of work and exhibitions. He died in 2009 while developing his first major exhibition since 1994, a show which has been more than 20 years in the making and is finally being presented by his family. Although his work was abstract and expressionist, Shinnick was an individualist. "I don't paint green fields. I paint feelings. Every one of my paintings is part of me. It is a bit hard to let go of them, because every one has been an experience. When people buy them and take them, they are taking a part of me," he said. In My Eyes, by Graham Shinnick, is showing at The Q Exhibition Space, Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, Rear of 253 Crawford Street, Queanbeyan, until May 2.
