Bryan Dawe at Bungendore
Bryan Dawe is a man of many talents: writer, comedian, political satirist. It appears he’s also a talented artist. He’ll be staging an exhibition at the Bungendore Wood Works Gallery, entitled Passage, the product of two recent stays in the port city of Tangier, Morocco.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
“I was born in Port Adelaide, and by nature, port towns have a unique openness and acceptance of diversity,” he says.
“This is true of where I grew up and echoed very much in Tangier. The city’s history, architecture, old cafes and bars, the wonderful stories, the colour and most of all, the delightful humour and genuine warmth of her people, continue to inspire and inform my work.”
Dawe’s previous exhibition, Tangier Illusions, was first shown in Tangier in February 2017. It was an exciting collection of artistically enhanced images that go far beyond the usual touristic depictions.
Surrealistic, with more than a hint of humour, the works delved into the psyche of Tangier: the old bars, the abandoned theatres and cinemas, the grand and not so grand cafes inhabited by the famous writers of the 50s and 60s such as Paul and Jane Bowles, William Burroughs, Truman Capote, as well, the musicians, artists, spies, the wealthy, and the smugglers.
The exhibition opens on June 30 at 2pm, hosted by journalist Greg Hoy. Dawe will host a Meet the Artist event on July 1, from 1-3pm. Passage continues until July 31.
Icy exploration
In December 1911, Roald Amundsen planted the Norwegian flag at the South Pole, just weeks ahead of the British polar explorer Robert Falcon Scott, who was approaching by another route. The tragic loss of lives in Scott’s team is well known - but how did Amundsen succeed?
The Royal Norwegian Embassy is staging an exhibition at the High Court including never-been-seen photographs of Amundsen’s expedition. It includes more than 200 photographs and personal accounts. The rare images were taken by the expedition crew, hand-coloured by Amundsen himself and used in his 1912 lecture. See what the public saw in those heady days of icy exploration.
At the High Court of Australia until July 18.
Studies with light
Canberra-based artists Kirstie Rea and Lucy Palmer use glass for its transparency, fragility and optics, each exploring the concepts of seeing light and capturing a fleeting moment.
In their upcoming exhibition at Suki & Hugh Gallery, the artists showcase their exceptional skill in their medium while further investigating their shared fascination with light.
Rea creates sculptural and photographic works that bring together her extensive technical glass-making skills with a deep conceptual understanding of place-making. The interplay of photographic imagery and layers of textured glass creates a feeling of gentle movement, capturing a moment in time while acting as a reminder of the motion of the body as it passes through the landscape, breathing in the surroundings.
Palmer creates small sculptural, coloured lens-like works which capture the light and quite literally change before our eyes as we move around the gallery. The interaction of glass and light compels the viewer to see the physical object and the refracted light that is created. These interactions are playful, mesmerising or delicate depending on the time of day or type of light.
Studies in Light runs at Suki & Hugh Gallery until August 12.
In Tranist floortalk
Gail Nichols is recognised internationally for the evocative surfaces of her bold ceramic forms, created as a result of her innovative approach to soda vapour glazes. Recently, Nichols became captivated by the immediacy and tactile nature of the rug hooking process, and took to it as naturally as she had taken to clay.
In Transit, curated by Karen O’Clery, surveys the artist’s transition from a 30-year engagement with ceramics to textiles. Her new work continues to describe her ever-present fascination with the interaction of climate and landscape as experienced daily on a rural property at the foot of Mt Budawang near Braidwood NSW, where she lives and works.
Nichols and O’Clery will host a floortalk on June 30, at noon. At the ANU Drill Hall Gallery.
Live music
Canberra ex-pat Julia Johnson is taking her new musical universe on the road this winter in a series of live band shows to celebrate the release of new single, Collarbone. She’ll be stopping in at The Street Theatre on July 7.
After years as bandleader/producer for Julia and The Deep Sea Sirens, Johnson made the choice to stop touring and for the last few years has refocused on the pure pursuit of song craft and mastery of the studio process.
Originally emerging from the folk scene, Johnson has crafted a sonic palette where voices and synths blend around antique folk instruments with the help of acclaimed producer Sarah Belkner. Collarbone is a synth-drenched psych-folk anthem for anyone who can't be alone. This has taken the multi instrumentalist in a brave new direction, deciding not to play safe with this textured and dynamic new single.
At The Street Theatre, July 7. $25. Bookings via thestreet.org.au