Art in Historical Glasshouse

‘On Reflection’ at The Palm House ( glasshouse) gallery

Sipping a hot chocolate while meandering on pathways through the fresh dark foliage of the Botanical gardens on a crisp sunny morning last Saturday, I was headed for the Palm House, the oldest glasshouse in Australia. It was erected in 1876 and as I discovered, sits in a beautiful garden setting.

Myriam Kin-Yee, Githa Pilbrow and Jo-anne Fuller are three longtime friends who together presented a substantial exhibition of their work at the historic Glasshouse  in Sydney over the previous two weeks. ‘On Reflection’ ponders the journey each of the artists has followed to arrive at their current place in their creative processes. The three artists were just opening the gallery as I arrived.

The glasshouse, with soaring translucent glass ceiling on this sunny winters day was flooded with soft morning light. The myriad of paintings ,drawings and sculptures  were revealed in all their splendor. I had the gallery to myself so was able to closely take in the diversity of talent in this wonderful space.

Githa Pilbrow

Githa Pilbrow living on the South Coast, exhibited an extensive and impressive collection of mixed media, watercolours, drawings, lithographs, oil , wax and acrylic paintings.

 

Much of her work is inspired by Jervis Bay and in particular, Point Perpendicular which features prominently in many of her works.

 

Githa’s wonderful use of colour is restrained, subtle and often with a limited palette and a sensitive use of tertiary mixes. Her landscapes are simplified to compositions emphasizing shape and tone. Much of her work is about the textural surface and it’s nuances. Glazes, palette knife textures, scratching,a variety and different combinations of media all contribute to the delicate layered effect.I loved the simplicity of Githa’s compositions and the familiarity they brought with the easily recognizable distinguishing shape of Point Perpendicular repeated throughout her work.

 

Jo-anne Fuller

Jo-anne Fuller shares her time between Sydney and the Central coast .She is a freelance writer and ceramicist of sculptural and functional ware. This exhibition sees her ‘Black Parrots of Pearlie’ take centre stage (literally) within the Glasshouse. They are an ‘evocative reminder of all that is gone’. The quirky ceramic vessels stand proudly in their colourfully glazed garb, each with a cleverly concealed compartment for hidden secrets and treasures. These characters are colourful and fun but represent a sad story of habitats lost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jo-anne’s collected finds of seashells and seed pods are seamlessly integrated into her whimsical, fun sculptures to become part of the whole piece. Jo-anne’s mother is on a constant lookout, collecting for her daughter. They sort through the many pieces and then lovingly return the rest back to the beach or bush from where they came.

Jo-anne’s organic shaped ceramic vessels with vibrant glazed interiors are bulging with life, torment, emotions and the feelings that shape us.

These vessels parallel our inner selves, our feelings tossing and whirling , all contained within a well worn, weathered exterior .These external  surfaces are reminiscent of landscape formations impacted by their environment. The bright coloured liquid glass interiors are our ‘shining raw emotion’.

 

 

 

 

Another of Jo-anne’s fascinating creations.

 

 

 

 

Myriam Kin-Yee

Myriam Kin-Lee’s work is mainly figurative and representational and her background is in illustration and design. An artist who is as colourful as her beautiful paintings now indulges her dream to paint full time in the lush surrounds of Kangaroo Valley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A delicate use of colour and brushwork, yet bold in composition, Myriams’s light filled, uncluttered still life works are exquisite. Most are on a smaller scale, all painted in oils and tastefully framed. Her evident delight and understanding of colour allows her to manipulate harmonious and complementary palettes to create wonderfully balanced painting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Myriam’s landscapes are painted with intense colours ,  are vibrant and solid with the subject broken into a patchwork of shapes and planes .Her painterly approach softens the scene as colours and tones ease into each other yet still with clean definition.

Richness of colour with tonal variations work well to create both light, space and perspective in these semi-abstracted landscapes. I feel that many details have been taken out of her landscapes, paring back to reveal  important lines and shapes  to create fresh and uncluttered works.

 

The three women who painted, sculpted , drew, curated and manned this exhibition bring with them a wealth of experience and talent. It will be interesting to follow their respective journeys to see where their passion leads. To see more of their work see the following links.

http://githapilbrow.com

http://www.myriamkinyee.com/