It's Sunday somewhere…in Collector
There's a beautiful new show opening this weekend just outside Canberra, featuring eight artists from Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney and country NSW, all exploring the meaning of Sunday: "Is the day of rest what it used to be, or is there a modern take on what Sunday offers? From the people we spend Sundays with, to the places, the activities and the dreams that Sundays afford, this show explores what the seventh day offers that other days don't. From the detailed meditative drawings of Sydney-based jeweller Diane Appleby to the whimsical ceramics of Jennifer Brown and the rich, colour-drenched oils of Patricia Boisgard and Pam O'Neil, It's Sunday Somewhere is a creative journey through a day with a diverse group of artists." Can't wait! It's Sunday Somewhere opens Saturday, April 30, from 2pm, and is then open noon-4pm Sundays, May 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 at Collector Gallery & Books, 22 Church Street, Collector, next to the Bushranger Hotel. See collectorbooks.com.au.
Tensions between… in Manuka
Artists Zoya Godoroja-Prieckaerts and Clare Jackson have a new show at CCAS exploring "tensions between various elements and concepts", with ceramics, textiles and works on paper: "As female artists whose practices are typically delicate in nature, Jackson and Godoroja-Prieckaerts are interested in the ways artists can find their work marginalised for being 'feminine'… The Manuka gallery space will see the works paired in a way that generates a dialogue between them to show that, in their delicacy, fragile works hold their own intensity and reveal the complexities of contending with one's emotions." Tensions between, by Zoya Godoroja-Prieckaerts and Clare Jackson, is showing until May 8 at Canberra Contemporary Art Space, 19 Furneaux Street, Manuka.
Underneath Antarctica
From an ice shelf to the human body, Tim Burke sees things others don't in cut, layered and painted board: "These works reference Antarctica, particularly the Fimbul Ice Shelf, and the relationship of the first explorers to the landscape. They also reference surgery – cuts in layers of skin, sinew and muscle – and in so doing connect landscape to the human body: the layering of skin, ice and sediment, the movement in rivers, glaciers and body fluids, the internal and external experience of extreme frontiers and the profound and mysterious scale difference of unknowable places." Underneath, by Tim Burke, is showing at Watson Arts Centre, 1 Aspinall Street, Watson, until May 15.
Divergence at Form
There's a diverse new show of ceramics by six very different artists opening this week at Form Gallery in Queanbeyan: "What brings the work together in this exhibition is the artists' use of divergent thinking to create engaging and unique sculptural works… With works informed by biology and flora, Isabelle Mackay-Sim celebrates atypical relationships, and offers an example of co-existence that crosses gender boundaries. Verney Burness replicates destruction and renewal in her dialogue with natural forces, while Lia Tajcnar tackles metaphysical questions about the nature of perception and knowledge. Fran Romano extends her exploration of the universal importance of ritual and remembrance and Richilde Flavell's work is informed by our culture's glorification of the busy through faceted installation." Divergence, by Elaine Bradley, Verney Burness, Richilde Flavell, Isabelle Mackay-Sim, Fran Romano and Lia Tajcnar, opens May 3 at Form Studio and Gallery, 1/30 Aurora Avenue, Queanbeyan, and shows until May 22.
Modern society in photos
Two new shows have opened at PhotoAccess this week. In Indecisive Moments, emerging artists Ursula K Frederick and Katie Hayne investigate "the glitch in our visual culture. As a transient fault, unexpected interruption or slippage in the flow of information, the glitch is a reminder of the indecisive moments that haphazardly shape our perception and experience of the world". And in Colour/Blind, LA-based artist Sinan Revell is inspired by "the Hashimoto dot matrix used for testing colour blindness and incorporating light boxes… When viewed from afar, only the matrix is visible, requiring the viewer to look deeper to reveal the portrait behind. By forcing us to look deeper, Revell highlights our blind spot towards the disenfranchised." Indecisive Moments, by Ursula K Frederick and Katie Hayne, and Colour/Blind, by Sinan Revell, are showing until May 22 at PhotoAccess, Manuka Arts Centre, corner Manuka Circle and New South Wales Crescent, Griffith.
Playful obsessions at The Left Hand
There's a new show opening at The Left Hand Gallery in Braidwood – the blue house at the turn-off to the coast – by Canberra artists Bec Setnicar and Colin Edgell. Playful Obsessions is an exhibition of "lively, colourful drawings, paintings, prints, photos inspired by an engagement with popular culture". The show runs for three weekends – April 30-May 1, May 7-8 and May 14-15, 10am-5pm or by appointment, at The Left Hand Gallery, 81 Lascelles Street, Braidwood.
Canberra Writers Festival
The line-up has just been announced for Canberra's inaugural writers festival, which is happening in the dead of winter (the best time of year for reading). Among others, British author AC Grayling will join Stella Prize winner Charlotte Wood, Isobelle Carmody, Nick Earls, Richard Glover, Chris Uhlmann and Steve Lewis. The festival will be held in various Canberra-esque venues, including the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, the National Portrait Gallery and the ANU, from August 26-28. See canberrawritersfestival.com.au.
Vinyl Lounge at NFSA
Vinyl is not dead and never will be! To prove it, head on over to National Film and Sound Archive's Vinyl Lounge next Friday night, and bask in 90 minutes of great music: "Bring your own vinyl and play a track of your choice on our pure analogue sound system – you also get to share the story behind your song selection! Discover music you've never heard before, and revisit your old favourites. And it's free." Vinyl Lounge is at the National Film and Sound Archive Theatrette, Friday, May 6, 5.30-7pm. No bookings required. Vinyl Lounge is on the first Friday of the month, and the Bench Room cafe is open from 5pm for drinks and snacks.
