Winter Salon at Anita Traverso Gallery

'Integral parts of therefore I am' series, 2011, Nicola Moss.

This recent series of artworks on panel are currently on show in the Winter Salon at Anita Traverso Gallery in Richmond, Melbourne. I have written previously about ideas inspiring these works.
If you have an opportunity to visit and view a very interesting mix of artists work, the exhibition is on from the 29th June to 16th July.

In the studio

There is a lot happening in the studio at the moment, with a couple of commissions on the go, an upcoming Paperworks exhibition to complete work for and ongoing development of works in the weather project. Deadlines certainly make work happen, actually I like deadlines to work to, they help me prioritise.
I have been paper cutting, detail above, a work inspired by the intertidal zone of mangroves. And thinking about the way this process relates to my past printmaking studies, the composition needs to be worked out before the first cut is made, what will be positive and negative space, dark and light, contrast and texture, it's quite abstract in a way, and not unlike developing a plate for printmaking. But this will be a one off. Must get back to work...

Out of the studio

I love getting outdoors to work on site, and even when things get a little hectic, like at the moment, I keep the date. I find these days so refreshing, with so much to see, the details, textures, smells and sounds of place can envelop me while I work.

I start each trip with a few notes in my visual diary:

11am - Low tide - the water is the furtherest out I have ever seen it. Large areas of mangrove mud, shell grit ripples from tidal currents and exposed red volcanic looking rock. The sky is clear cerulean blue without a cloud. Stunning!
Tree trunks are silver-white, sunbaked and starkly beautiful against the deep blue sky. Bird calls, waders in the shallows, curlews at the cafe. Oyster shells encrust the random rocks, deposits of past life. Large sandbars of broken rock stretch out into the bay waters with clusters of mangrove trees supported or supporting the bar. There is so much life here.
Yes, these days feel special.

I came across a blog this week recording the journey and works of a group of artists on a trip to Western New South Wales. Interesting reading, and inspiring, enough for me to start making plans for an art camp trip of my own.

therefore I am...

'Eat-Rain' from the Integral Parts of Therefore I am series, Nicola Moss, 2011.

I mentioned in an earlier post I'd been reading about ecology, relationships between species and our (humans) place in the scheme of things. It's affirmed many thoughts I had and hit a few nails on the head for me. An afterword by Linda Leer (1998) in Rachel Carson's book, Silent Spring, really hit home. The quote goes along the lines of..." (the author) did so with no other motive than her own immense love of the living world, and with the romantic and perhaps naive belief that if the public were made aware of the wonder and mystery of life, they would have less appetite to destroy it."

The word naive went off like a gong in my head, there goes my painting I thought. I have on many occasions spoken and painted about the beauty of the natural environment, though really for me it is the sheer fecundity of nature that I find incredible, ugly is beautiful as well. All those lives, the trees and plants, billions of trillions of creatures going about their business, each unique and exquisite; exchanging with us fresh air and water, providing all of our food, cleaning up the decomposing carcasses of spent life to make new...you get the picture...I mean WOW! Isn't the living world incredible? I walk outside and it's there to be seen, everywhere.

And yet is this not enough to convince a majority of humans to respect, protect and cherish this life around us which we are part of? (I'll get off my box now).

For the past month I've been making a series of works on paper, Integral parts of therefore I am, thinking about intelligence and being 'civilised'. The works depict connected elements within my ecology and relationships to environment. I don't believe any amount of intelligence or technology can remove humans from the basic parameters of biology and ecology. Life gives life.

Across the border

I went on a trip last week to Northern New South Wales for meetings at a couple of galleries. First stop was at Mullumbimby to meet Nadine Abensur, director of Art Piece Gallery. Situated on the main street of this lovely rural town, Art Piece Gallery has a very welcoming feel and wonderful mix of art, textiles, jewellery and crafted homewares. Conversation about art and future events was great, not to mention Nadine's enthusiasm and energy. I'm delighted to be showing artworks in the gallery, with some exciting group exhibitions coming up in the next few months (more on that closer to the time). Thank you Nadine it was lovely to meet you.

The second stop was at Tweed River Art Gallery at Murwillumbah, to finalise dates for a joint exhibition, Susan Buret and I will have there next year. The gallery has stunning views of valley and river looking on to the dramatic Caldera, pictured above. But inside the buildings architecture and facilities are equally impressive. Our exhibition will feature works developed during a collaborative one month residency we have later this year at the Montsalvat Artist Colony in Eltham, Victoria. For the last couple of years Susan and I have worked collaboratively on a weather project, ideas currently developing are exciting, more on this a bit later.

Thank you Gail for a wonderful meeting, we are thrilled to be part of the upcoming Tweed River Art Galleries program.