Reko Rennie | King and Country

Karen Woodbury Gallery artist Reko Rennie was covered today in The Age following the opening of King and Country at Karen Woodbury Gallery, Melbourne. This is Reko's first show at Karen Woodbury Gallery and he explores the potency of the symbol as a reflection of identity, affiliation and pop culture psyche. King and Country will run until December 14 at Karen Woodbury Gallery, Melbourne.

King and Country 2013, acrylic and pigment on linen, 140.0 x 200.0 cm

This is my emblematic statement about the original royalty of Australia.
The crown symbol is both in homage to my graffiti roots and also pays due respect to Jean-Michel Basquiat, but most importantly symbolizes sovereign status.

The crown reminds us that Aboriginal people are the original sovereigns of this country.

Reko Rennie

Coinciding with King and Country is the launch of The National Gallery of Victoria's ambitious new summer exhibition Melbourne Now. Rennie has been selected amongst over 400 other Melbourne based artists to participate Melbourne Now 2013.The exhibition will spread over the NGV's two sites (NGV Australia and NGV International) and other venues across Melbourne. Melbourne Now celebrates 'the creative minds that have shaped our city'.

Regalia (crown, diamond and flag) 2013, exhibition installation

Initiation 2013, exhibition installation, Karen Woodbury Gallery, Melbourne

Initiation #3 2013, glass, mirror and acrylic

For further information regarding Reko Rennie please contact Karen Woodbury Gallery, Melbourne on (03) 9639 5855 or info@kwgallery.com.

Share Design | Aida Tomescu

Share Design on Aida Tomescu's current show at Karen Woodbury Gallery.

http://sharedesign.com/inspirationblog/whats-happening-aida-tomescu-karen-woodbury-gallery/

Messiaen 2013, oil and pigments on canvas, 184.0 x 154.0 cm

Aida Tomescu | 2013

                                                                

Aida Tomescu 

Messiaen 2013

oil and pigments on canvas

184.0 x 154.0 cm

In Tomescu’s paintings the sheer physicality of paint, its density and the

Archaeology of the layers, its application and movement across the surface,

is inseparable from the content.

 Deborah Hart, Senior Curator, National Gallery of Australia.

Considered one of Australia’s foremost abstract painters, Aida Tomescu’s solo exhibition showcasing a suite of eight major paintings and works on paper opens at the newly re-launched Flinders Lane premises of Karen Woodbury Gallery.

There is always a distinct tenor and character to each of Tomescu’s exhibitions, and the high energy of her recent body of work brings at once a feeling of vitality and radiance.

The persistent searching line of Tomescu's drawing has invaded her larger paintings. Congeries of lines ravel and unravel in paintings like Goldfields and Messiaen, probing deep into the surface of the work, lending depth and substance and striking up a new direction, at once intense and playful. In contrast, the downpours of thin paint lash out in paintings such as El Nino or La Nina. Yet, while they preserve a feeling of utmost spontaneity they are the result of repeated build up and erasure, of rigorous appraisal, modification and a relentless questioning of the image.

It is thirty three years since Aida Tomescu arrived in Australia. Born in Bucharest, Romania in 1955, Aida Tomescu studied at the Institute of Fine Arts in Bucharest and at the City Art Institute in Sydney.

Anne Lewis first showed Tomescu’s work at the seminal Gallery A in Sydney in 1983, and when that venue closed, she moved to the Coventry Gallery. With over thirty solo shows to date, Tomescu is one of Australia’s most distinctive and well respected artists. In 2009, a major survey exhibition was held at the Drill Hall Gallery, Australian National University, Canberra. Aida Tomescu is the winner of a host of prestigious art prizes, including the Sulman Prize, the Wynne prize and the Dobell Prize for Drawing by the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Tomescu’s work is well represented in the major museums, regional, university and corporate collections including the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of South Australia, Queensland Art Gallery, Heide Museum of Modern Art, Auckland Art Gallery, New Zealand and the British Museum, London

For further information, interview with Aida Tomescu and images please contact:

Karen Woodbury T: 03 9639 5855 M: 0417 127 917   E: info@kwgallery.com

Heather B. Swann

This monologue by Heather B. Swann is well worth a watch- a good introduction before you come and see our current show by the Artist.




Heather B. Swann will run until Saturday the 21st of September at Karen Woodbury Gallery, Melbourne at Level 1/167 Flinders Lane. You will find us on the corner of Hosier Lane and Flinders Lane.

Please contact the gallery on (03) 9639 5855 or info@kwgallery.com for further information

Karen Woodbury Gallery is back

After a long 18 months toiling away behind the scenes we are excited to announce that we are now open for business at our new and very central Flinders Lane Gallery Space.
We feel very blessed to be housed in such a unique and historic building...not to mention the fantastic tenants we share with such as e.g.etal, Zambesi and Ashtanga Yoga Melbourne.

Our hard work paid off with Tuesday night's opening celebration bringing in a huge crowd. Thank you everyone who attended for making this such a special night. Fun was had by all. 

Our first exhibition is by Heather B. Swann and will run from the 21st August until the 21st of September. In our second gallery space you will find a selection of Karen Woodbury Gallery artists on display.

Heather B. Swann, Bachelor 2013, wood, paper, resin, pigment, binder & marble dust, 110.0 x 110.0 x 750.0 cm

We are very excited to welcome new and familiar faces into our beautiful new space. Karen Woodbury Gallery is open from Tuesday through to Sunday from 11 am until 5pm. There is no need to make an appointment except if you wish to see us after hours.

You will find us at Level 1, 167 Flinders Lane, Melbourne. You can contact us on (03) 9639 5855 or info@kwgallery.com



 

Studio News & Views #2

Studio News & Views  #2

Studio Views

LARA MERRETT

in the silent 2012
acrylic & ink on linen
153.0 x 122.0 cm
$8,800


LIONEL BAWDEN


pattern spill (spectral pulse) 2012
coloured staedtler pencils, epoxy & incralac on perspex shelf
form: 30.0 x 30.0 x 28.0 cm shelf: 15.0 x 30.0 x 30.0 cm
$8,800


LISA ROET

primate hands #7  2008
charcoal on rag paper
207.0 x 151.0 cm (unframed size)
225.0 X 169.5 cm (framed size)
$9,500

MAGDA MATWIEJEW

femina red dress 2012
all works
digital prints
122.0 x 81.0 cm
edition: 1/6
$2,800 each  (unframed price)


femina white dress 2012


femina black dress 2012

Studio News

Jane Burton’s new series of photographs other stories is now available for sale through Karen Woodbury Gallery. To view Jane’s work, click here. Additionally, we have a limited number of signed copies of Jane’s new book ‘Jane Burton: Other Stories’ published by m.33. These are available on request through the gallery for $55.00 + postage and handling.

Congratulations to John Pule who has recently been awarded a merit for outstanding service to the arts. This was awarded to John by the New Zealand Govenor General Sir Jerry Mateparae at Government House in Auckland. In Australia, John is well represented by the National Gallery of Victoria, The National Gallery of Australia and the Queensland Art Gallery. We have a selection of John Pule’s works available please contact us to receive images.

We are very excited to announce that four of our artists have been shortlisted for the 2012 Substation Contemporary Art Prize. Fiona Lowry, Marie Hagerty, Lisa Roet and Heather B. Swann will all be participating in this years prize judged by Nicole Durling (Senior curator at MONA) & Jason Smith (Director of Heide). The winner will be announced this Friday the 21^st of September with the exhibition running until October 21^st 2012. We wish our exhibiting artists all the best!

Magda Matwiejew’s moving image work wasp waist 2011 has been purchased by SBS Australia, and will be aired six times over three years on SBS ONE & SBS TWO. The work is also included in the Flatland Film Festival in Lubbock, Texas. Wasp waist will be screened from October 18^th to October 20^th 2012 at the Louise Hopkins Underwood Centre for the Arts.

Magda Matwiejew on SBS

SBS TV have purchased a three year exclusive Australian television right to the moving image work of Magda Matwiejew's wasp waist 2011.

wasp waist 2011 will be screened six times in SOS over three years on SBS ONE and SBS TWO.

Studio News & Views # 1

To see the first issue of Studio News & Views, follow the link here!

 

Melbourne Art Fair 2012

What a week! Thank you for all those that visited our stand over the course of the Melbourne Art Fair 2012 ; it was great to see some familiar friendly faces as well as new.

If you didn't get a chance to pick up our Kate Rohde & Fiona Lowry posters with an interview by Rachael Watts you can view them here.

Jane Burton | New Work

Jane Burton | New Work | Other Stories

Jane Burton's new series of photographs, Other Stories
is now available for purchase through Karen Woodbury Gallery

To view the entire selection, please visit the artist's website here

All photos in the series are $3,300 framed inc.gst.
Please contact the gallery for further information: Tel (03) 9639 5855 or email info@kwgallery.com


Sleep has his house #4 2012,  pigment print, 40.0 x 60.0cm, edition of 5


Limbo #7 2012, pigment print, 60.0 x 40.0cm, edition of 5

New Book
Jane Burton: Other Stories
signed copies, 72 pages / 270 x 210 cm
Hardcover, Published by M.33.
$55.00 + postage and handling (in Australia)

Encounters @ Glen Eira City Council

Karen Woodbury Gallery artists Jane Burton and Simon Obarzanek have been included in an exhibition Encounters to be held at the Glen Eira City Council Gallery.

Curated by Diane Soumilas, the exhibition will investigate how each of the artists respond to themes of personal history, memory, identity, ritual, presence and absence, responding to specific sites in public, private, staged and natural environments.

Encounters offers a diverse mix of media (photography, performance, drawing and video installation) and is linked by each of the artists shared sense of the interrelationship between the body, space and time. 

The exhibition opens on Wednesday the 30th of May 2012 for drinks at 6.30pm and will continue until June 24th 2012.

Click here for more information about the show.

Jane Burton, White Stain #9, 2011, pigment print, 110.0 x 110.0cm

Simon Obarzanek, Untitled movement no.2 #6, 2010, C-type hand print, 100.0 x 120.0cm

John Pule @ New Zealand Maritime Museum

Gallery artist John Pule has been included in Kermadec: Nine artists explore the South Pacific at the New Zealand Maritime Museum. The work in this exhibition is inspired by each artists voyage to the Kermadec region of New Zealand in May 2011.

The Kermadec region is located in the South Pacific Ocean 1,000km North of Auckland and has been identified by the National Geographic Society as one of the last pristine sites left in the worlds oceans.

The work that has been put into this exhibition has not only resulted in a journey of discovery for the artists involved but a major source of awareness for the issues that face the Kermadec region today.

The exhibition has been open since February 15th and will run until the 1st of July 2012.  Other artists in the exhibition include: Phil Dadson; Bruce Foster; Fiona Hall; Gregory O'Brien; Jason O'Hara; Elizabeth Thomson; John Reynolds and Dame Robin White.

For more information about the exhibition click here.

John Pule, I will never leave you 2009, 101.5 x 101.5cm

Swan Hill National Print & Drawing Award

Gallery artist Heather B. Swann has been selected to be a part of the 2012 Swan Hill National Print and Drawing Awards at Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery.

The award consists of two prizes: one print and one drawing valued at $7000 each.

Julie Chambers (Director, The Art Vault, Mildura) and Roger Butler, (Senior Curator of Australian Prints, Drawings and Illustrated books, National Gallery of Australia) will be judging this years prize.

The exhibition will run from the 12th of May until the 8th of July with the winner announced on the 12th.

Heather B. Swann, 'How the mind works: Cloud', 2010

Fantastic Dreamland | Jane Burton

Jane Burton has been selected to be a part of a group show to be held in Shanghai titled Fantastic Dreamland: Exhibition of Contemporary Australian Photography. 

The show will run from April 24th until May 13th 2012. The exhibition also includes work by Melbourne based artist Sonia Payes.

For more information about the show or to view it online, click here.

Jane Burton, 'White Stain # 8', 2011

Through your eyes

Locust Jones is a part of an exciting cultural exchange project 'Through your eyes' which is currently being held at the Korean Cultural Office in Sydney and will run until the 29th of June 2012.

'Through your eyes' is the product of a cultural exchange project which aims to explore the reciprocal relationship between Korean and Australian artists and how each is influenced by the other.

Locust will participate in an artist talk on Thursday the 3rd of May @ 6.30 pm. This would be a fantastic opportunity to receive an insight into his work and his experience participating in the cultural exchange.

For more details on the exhibition and residency program, click here.

 Fixing failed states- Book covers from the New York Review of Books, 2009, ink on paper, 100.0 x 80.0 cm

Marie Hagerty & Monika Tichacek @ GOMA

Gallery artists Marie Hagerty and Monkia Tichacek are included in the current exhibition at GOMA 'Contemporary Australia: Women'.

This exhibition is the second in a series of exhibitions titled 'Contemporary Australia' and is a celebration of the diverse practices of contemporary women artists working in Australia today.

We are very excited about this and urge you to go if you are in Brisbane now or in the near future!

Details about the exhibition can be seen here.