MEDIA RELEASE

Shoe Box Ceramics | CAAWA – Albany 2007

Albany and Denmark ceramic artists will be joined by other leading ceramicists from throughout Western Australia in an exhibition of ceramic artworks which opens at gorepaniART Gallery at 6pm on Thursday 5^th July.

Local ceramicists are delighted the Ceramic Arts Association of WA has chosen Albany as the location for its second annual regional exhibition of member artworks.

The exhibition will feature both domestic ware and conceptually based artworks, and follows on from a very successful first regional exhibition held in Kalgoorlie in 2006.

“Approximately twenty nine artists will be participating in the exhibition, and they include full time ceramic artists through to hobbyists and retired practicing professionals,” says gallery director, Anne Brandenburg.

While many of the works exhibited will fit a shoe box theme, a number of larger pieces will also go on show to demonstrate the diversity in size, form and function of ceramic art.

“This is an exciting exhibition for us as a ceramics organization”, says CAAWA chairman Stewart Scambler. “CAAWA promotes excellence and innovation in ceramics, fosters appreciation of handcrafted ceramics in the broader community and encourages the professional development of its members. The Albany and Denmark region has long been a source of ceramic creativity and we are looking forward to help maintain and foster that.”

Albany ceramicist and exhibition participant, Lorraine Harrison, also points out, “there has not been a ceramic exhibition in Albany for many years. We don’t often get the opportunity to see this standard of work and such a cross section of ceramic art styles in one place at the one time.”

Local ceramicists involved in the exhibition include well known Albany arts identities, Lorraine Harrison and Ailsa Mead. From Denmark we will see artworks by Robyn Lees, Melanie Mackenzie, Jonathan Hook and Elizabeth Wright.

Joining these artists will be a sizeable group of ceramicists from the Margaret River region, including pieces by Ian Dowling who’s architecturally inspired water feature installation graces the façade of the new TAFE campus at Margaret River.

From Perth there will be another large contingent of artists. Included will be exquisite porcelain clay work artworks by Sandra Black, a tiled water feature by Gary Zeck and whimsical porcelain sculptures by Fleur Schell from her inspirational series of hung and free standing artworks forming the basis of her children’s book, ‘The Excellent Adventures of Heidi and Kilbey’.

Another Perth participant will be Graham Hay, a paper clay and compressed paper sculpture artist. Graham recently exhibited a spiraling piece on the lawn outside the Albany City Library as part of the very successful NewArts Paperartzi exhibition.

Shoe Box Ceramics will be opened at 6pm on Thursday 5^th July by art historian, curator and past Director of Bunbury Regional Art Galleries, Ms Diana Roberts. Born in Glasgow, Diana has worked in galleries in north of England, London and Australia. She now works as a freelance curator and writer, and is completing PhD research investigating the influence of visual art and design practice as a contribution to regional prosperity.

Shoe Box Ceramics exhibition runs from 6 – 29 July.

Anne Brandenburg

gorepaniART Gallery
196 Middleton Road, Albany, Western Australia, 6330
Telephone +61 8 9841 4468   Mobile 0429 413667   Email info@gorepani.com.au www.gorepani.com.au
Gallery Open > 11am - 5pm Tuesday - Sunday + Monday Public Holidays