I recently had the pleasure of assisting Sydney artist Jane Gerrish with texts for her upcoming solo exhibition Still Light at Suki and Hugh Gallery in Bungendore. 

Opening Saturday 12 May 3-5pm
Until 24 June

Here is a taster to whet your appetite for the show — the introductory text for the exhibition:
 

Meditative stillness and modulated light pervade this exhibition of new work by Sydney artist Jane Gerrish.

Jane’s drawings form a conversation with a history of works focused on the portrayal of light and shade. Inspired by an exhibition of masterpieces from the Hermitage Museum* and by a visit to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum in Orchard Street, New York, Jane sought to explore her ideas through this lens.

Characterised by highly detailed and tonal drawings, Jane’s art practice is grounded in her passion for research. Each of the series featured is the product of curiosity and enquiry as she experiments with form, light and shadow to push the boundaries of her subject and medium. What follows is an intriguing collection of still-life and interior drawings set in places of intense quiet, and atmospherically lit.

Ripe fruit, a dove caught flying on stilled wings, intimate moments of dressing and forms abstracted into pattern each recall images from the Dutch Golden Age of painting and early plate photography. Light and a momentary suspension of the clock define the scenes.

Richly saturated colours, monochromatic contrasts and varied textures emphasize a sense of transient stillness and punctuate the exhibition in an original and contemporary exploration of the themes and subjects. Each piece is made on archival French watercolour paper.

As the narrative of the exhibition unfolds, the constant themes of stillness and light act as softly connective threads for quiet contemplation.

* “Masterpieces from the Hermitage Collection; the legacy of Catherine the Great NGV,” held at the National Gallery of Victoria.