Why the fine arts are important to graphic design
Hazelhurst Arts Centre
One of our graphic designers Andrea, recently discovered the joys of Hazelhurst Arts Centre in Gymea, south of Sydney. Tucked away in this quiet little suburb of the Sutherland Shire, this historic house-come-art gallery is a little-known gem. Andrea took a stroll around the lush gardens and drew inspiration for her designs – she glanced in the windows of the many glass-doored art studios and watched the artists and saw groups of kids getting creative at their school holiday art workshops. After a coffee frappe (with impressive espresso ice cube) she had a wander through the current exhibition which was a very interesting exploration of feminism and surrealism.
Artists included Del Kathryn Barton, Vivienne Binns, Pat Brassington, Louisa Chircop, Madeleine Kelly, Deborah Kelly, Juz Kitson, Lucy O’Doherty, Caroline Rothwell, Kaylene Whiskey, Jelena Telecki, Lynda Draper, Freya Jobbins, Jenny Orchard, Jill Orr, Patricia Piccinini, Julie Rrap, Honey Long & Prue Stent, Marikit Santiago, Anne Wallace and Amanda Williams.
Visiting local art galleries is a great way for graphic designers to get inspired and keep across what’s going on in the parallel world of fine arts.
“In the arms of unconsciousness: Women, feminism and the surreal, is a cross generational exhibition featuring the work of 22 significant female Australian artists whose practices explore ideas of the surreal and feminism. Featuring newly commissioned and recent works, including some which have not yet been seen by Australian audiences, the exhibition includes paintings, ceramics, photography, sculpture, video works, drawings and collage. Sitting within a renewed global interest in women artists and Surrealism, this ambitious exhibition explores ideas of feminism and the surreal, proposing an intrinsic between the two, particularly in contemporary Australian art practice over the decades. The artists in this exhibition work with elements of the surreal to explore, disrupt or challenge traditional representations of the female body and provide unique perspectives on personal and political issues which resonate today.” – Hazelhurst Arts Centre
