Collie will have a rare opportunity to see works by some of Western Australia’s most well-known artists when the Collie Art Gallery opens its new art exhibition on December 23.
The exhibition, titled Removing the Traces: Aspects of Abstraction from the Janet Holmes à Court Collection, features works from artists such as Howard Taylor, Monique Tippett, Guy Grey-Smith, Ben Pushman, George Pitt Morison, Hildegarde Bassett, Rod Garlett and Revel Cooper.
The Janet Holmes à Court Collection and Exhibitions Manager Sharon Tassicker worked closely with Collie Art Gallery’s Payam Parishanzadeh to curate the 38 works which will make up exhibition.
“This exhibition presents intriguing aspects of South West landscape from the Janet Holmes à Court Collection,” Ms Tassicker said.
“The works included individually demonstrate varying degrees and methods of abstraction; ultra-simplification, gestural and expressive brushwork, flattening of the picture surface and saturated colour, whilst maintaining the formal principles of line, form, shape, value, movement and composition.
“The purpose of this exhibition is to share some significant and captivating abstract works from the collection, works representing the essence of land, forest and water. I hope I’ve created a calm and meditative space which gives room for reflection.”
The exhibition will provide Collie with a rare opportunity to see works from the collection, which are currently only available to be seen by the public at The Holmes à Court Gallery in Cowaramup.
“To have the Howard Taylors in particular come for this exhibition is pretty special because they are very fragile works and we guard them with our lives,” Ms Tassicker said.
“I’ve had a couple of people already say, ‘I might just pop down to Collie to see the Howards.’ They are not often out [and] displayed.”
The exhibition will be on show at the Collie Art Gallery from December 23-24 and again from January 4 to February 4.
The gallery is open from 10am until 4pm on Thursdays through to Mondays.