Travelling to McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery are two exhibitions that illustrate and celebrate modern Australian identity through art and images from post-Second World War to present.
From Rockhampton Art Galllery is the cream of the crop in their collection of Australian modernist paintings. Cream: Four Decades of Australian Art covers a period between 1940 and 1980 illustrating a shift from euro-centric art to distinctively Australian style and content. Featuring a who’s who of Australian artists from Grace Cossington-Smith and John Brack to Margaret Olley and Sidney Nolan and everyone in between, this is a must-see perspective on the shifting landscape of modern Australian art.
In another illustration of our national identity Waves and Water: Australian Beach Photography, on loan from Sydney’s Australian National Maritime Museum, features photographs from 1930 to present day captured by seven of Australia’s most celebrated beach photographers. From Max Dupain’s iconic black and white Sunbaker (1935) to Narelle Autio’s spectacular present day underwater ocean swimming images in vibrant colour, this exhibition is a celebration of beach culture with varied perspectives on the ways Australians enjoy the sea.
Cream and Waves & Water are on exhibition from Sunday, May 11 to Sunday, August 3 at McClelland Sculpture Park & Gallery (Langwarrin) Entry by donation. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. 9789 1671 www.mcclellandgallery.com
ANDREA LOUISE THOMAS