New Beaver shows
There's a nice couple of shows just opened at Beaver Galleries this week. Canberra artist Alex Asch has a series of sculptures using found and recycled materials: "These discarded materials reveal remnants of a past life and are often altered or marked by tools and fittings as well as the weather." And sculpture duo Belinda Fox and Melinda Schawel have Roots and Wings: "With a focus on works on paper, both these artists pay great attention to surface treatment and the construction of spatial relationships in their work. These elements in particular weave their two individual practices together." Under Construction, by Alex Asch and Roots and Wings, by Belinda Fox and Melinda Schawel, are showing at Beaver Galleries, 81 Denison Street, Deakin, until June 16.
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Longing at ANCA
Someone (John Berger) once said that photography was as much about what was not seen than what was represented in the image. Local artists Cathy Laudenbach and Adam Mann take this concept and run with it with their latest exhibition at ANCA: "Working individually, the artists explore the idea of longing as desire to seek, know and reveal more. Laudenbach's work centres on known historical places in the Canberra area, while Mann is the flaneur, travelling then waiting to reveal the usually unnoticed. Longing brings together these two photographers, who use the photograph as both time capsule and frame to probe place." Longing, by Cathy Laudenbach and Adam Mann, opens at ANCA Gallery, 1 Rosevear Place, Dickson, on June 3 until June 21.
![Detail of <i>Untitled 2015</i> by Gregory Hodge. Photo: Roberto Luigi Apa Detail of <i>Untitled 2015</i> by Gregory Hodge. Photo: Roberto Luigi Apa](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/c7f2e095-1f54-4728-b7ea-79475ecd260c/r0_0_729_409_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Baroque at Gorman
Well, this all sounds very elaborate, with three exuberant shows opening at CCAS Gorman this week. Canberra artist Gregory Hodge has created "colossal collages" that seem to leap off the walls: "A Fabled Gesture promises to sweep the audience into a maelstrom of tightly controlled madness that sees the act of painting magnified to a point where one stroke of a brush becomes a work in itself." Adelaide personality Zoe Kirkwood "turns art history on its head in The Screen Set, and with all the grandiose extravagance of a Bernini sculpture, she dominates her space with colourful painted 'theatre props'." And local artist Amelia Zaraftis changes the pace slightly in the Cube: "Recalling many a night in cheap motels, she brings the ideas of motor and hotel together with road signage festooned furniture. Modern décor or conceptual art?" A Fabled Gesture by Gregory Hodge, The Screen Set by Zoe Kirkwood and Room by Amelia Zaraftis are showing until July 4 at Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Gorman Arts Centre, 55 Ainslie Avenue, Braddon.
A Time and Place at PhotoAcces
Nine emerging photographers take part in this latest show at PhotoAcces as part of The Personal Photography Project, a 10-month-long workshop aimed at "providing a supportive and structured environment for photographers looking to sink their teeth into a personal project of their own choice". This exhibition showcases selected works by Phil Carter, Lori Cicchini, Julie Garran, Susan Henderson, Andree Lawrey, Annette Lock, Kim Psaila, Thomas Varendorff and Pavel Vrzala, and gives insight into their nine very diverse approaches to photography. And in A portrait of my father as a young man, Mary Hutchison "creatively interprets the familiar family photo album… she works with found images from her own photo album, tracing images made of her father by street and studio photographers, friends and family members from the 1920s to the 1950s". A Time and Place, by nine emerging artists, and A portrait of my father as a young man, by Mary Hutchison, are showing at PhotoAccess Huw Davies Gallery, Manuka Arts Centre, Manuka Circle, Griffith, until June 28, when there will be artist talks from 2pm.
![<i> Motel Refurbishment, Ulladulla NSW</i> by Adam Mann. Photo: Supplied <i> Motel Refurbishment, Ulladulla NSW</i> by Adam Mann. Photo: Supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/f144cd87-824b-44bb-8216-926d7722a609/r0_0_729_410_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Far Horizons at Humble House
It's a new kid on the block when it comes to showcasing contemporary art, but Humble House Gallery, in Fyshwick, would well be on to something with its mix of antique furniture and modern art. The latest show to open there, by Michaela Laurie, is a series of works "painted" with coloured pencils, pen and ink, inspired by the far horizons she sees framed through her car windows as she drives home each day: "These views never cease to draw me to them. As the sun sets and in the twilight hour, these same hills, rocks and trees become dark silhouettes," she says. Far Horizons, by Michaela Laurie, is showing at Humble House Gallery, 93 Wollongong Street, Fyshwick, until June 14.
Narrative Reflections on the coast
And if you're spending the last winter days down on the South Coast this weekend, lucky you! Why not take a drive down to Tanja to see the assemblage works of Mark Ward: "Over the past 40 years Ward has been developing a very personal sculptural sensibility stemming from his skilful observation and ability to identify, select and transform unlikely materials into magical forms, still potent with their previous life." Narrative Reflections by Mark Ward, is showing at Narek Galleries, Old Tanja Church, 1140 Tathra-Bermagui Road, Tanja, until June 15.
Erskine art collections
Collectors are often just as interesting as artists, especially when they show as much knowledge and confident judgment as James and Jacqui Erskine. A large exhibition of Australian paintings from this collection has just opened at the Drill Hall Gallery, and includes works by Rick Amor, Emily Kngwarreye, John Olsen, Lloyd Rees and Peter Sharp. As the gallery points out, James Erskine is best known as chairman of Sports & Entertainment Ltd. "He is less well known for being an outstanding collector of contemporary art. He has an eye for superlative works, not always by highly publicised names and sometimes acquired well before the artist has achieved just recognition in the art market". He established the Liverpool Street Gallery in Sydney in 2003 to increase his commitment to living artist, and says his greatest wish is to "...give a bit back, so that future generations can see and experience some of the magic, and will leave a gallery or museum happier than when they went in". Australian Paintings from the James & Jacqui Erskine Collection is showing at the Drill Hall Gallery, Kingsley Street (off Barry Drive), ANU, until June 28.
Fragile First Impressions at Nishi
There's a threatened archive of indigenous reportage showing at Nishi Gallery for the next couple of weeks – a series of rock art photographs from the Warddeken Indigenous Protected Area in Western Arnhem Land: "It is a unique Indigenous meta-reportage covering the recently rediscovered 19th and early 20th century rock art depicting contact encounters at the frontier as illustrated to local Aboriginal audiences at that time. The project is a collaboration between the Indigenous traditional owners of a massive 13,500-square kilometre area east of Kakadu National Park, Indigenous community rangers employed to manage this extremely remote area and its fragile rock art galleries, nationally renowned photographer David Hancock based in Darwin and curator Peter Cooke (former CEO of Warddeken Land Management Limited)." Fragile First Impressions is showing at Nishi Gallery, New Acton, Canberra, until June 14.
![<i>Holding form VI</i> by Belinda Fox. Photo: Supplied <i>Holding form VI</i> by Belinda Fox. Photo: Supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/1bdea768-ef07-4a6a-bae5-8300941d62f2/r0_0_353_297_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)