Gallery dishes up abstract look at plates and other ceramics

Noosa Regional Gallery will host a new exhibition, Plates Thrown Against The Wall, in August.

It features works by nationally and internationally renowned local artists from Noosa Open Studios 2019.

Inspired by the unique setting of the Sunshine Coast region – and at times making use of locally sourced clay – ceramicists Rowley Drysdale, Dennis Forshaw, Elke Lucas and Sandra Robertson are widely respected for their expertly crafted works.

Influenced by the delicate ecology of their natural surroundings, the four popular ceramicists are long-time proponents of sustainable arts practice and community-minded living.

“It’s not only what you make but how you feel about what you made, which, to me, in all its simplicity and directness, has become more and more profound as the years have whirled on,” says Rowley Drysdale.

Gallery Director Michael Brennan says the group exhibition highlights the delicate yet durable, simple but ornate quality of works demonstrative of each artist’s quest for refinement and joy. 

“While ceramic works are typically regarded in the first instance for their functional qualities, the exhibition seeks to upend this paradigm, asking audiences to take in the work of these artists for its aesthetic and abstract qualities,” he says.

“The title of the exhibition embraces this challenge - at once referring to a kind of shocking removal of these plates and vessels from their typical setting atop plinths and tables, while at the same time describing how the works appear in the exhibition space, arranged artfully as abstract compositions on the Gallery walls.

“Noosa Open Studios provides a unique opportunity for art lovers to get a glimpse of a range of creative practices from across the region,” says Brennan.

“This exhibition allows us to focus in on a specific niche and perhaps provide a different way into the artists’ practices.”

Plates Thrown Against The Wall is at Noosa Regional Gallery from August 2 to September 8, 2019. Entry to the Gallery is free. Visit the website.

25 July 2019