Suburban Superheroes on show at the Northern Rivers Community Gallery
Northern Rivers Community Gallery (NRCG) presents a treasure trove of contemporary art this November, celebrating four high calibre exhibitions from three emerging artists and captivating superhero portraits from the acclaimed Sprung Dance Theatre ensemble.
Gallery Coordinator Imbi Davidson, said “This group of exhibitions showcases the incredible talent from across the region, promising a varied constellation of artists and fascinating artworks spanning experimental textiles, site-specific installations, intricate abstractions and extraordinary suburban superheros captured in large-scale photographic portraits.”
Embedded Thread | Justin Telfer
Fabric, a constant companion from birth to death, is intricately linked with our daily existence, connecting us to places, identity, and moments in time. Justin Telfer explores narratives embedded in textiles through experimentation with textures and materials, considering form and aesthetics, and then working and reworking until they resonate with the underlying framework of his ideas.
Untold | Emma T Woodburn
Combining drawing and sculpture, Untold is a site-specific response to the internal heritage- listed gallery space of NRCG. Woodburn’s work draws our attention to invisible histories (internal and personal) in the context of contemporary Australian culture. The exhibition is an invitation to examine the metaphorical vault and questions if we are ready to look inside. Emma T Woodburn is the recipient of the 2023 BSA Graduate Award.
Exposed | Sienna van Rossum
Artist Sienna van Rossum asks us to examine overlooked details and contemplate how our perception of reality is moulded through where we direct our attention. In our fast-paced, image-saturated world, Exposed considers how our view of reality is never pure, unfiltered and transparent but a vulnerable process of mediation – our vision is “exposed to the elements”. In observing the familiar surfaces of her everyday spaces, van Rossum merges meticulous realism and abstraction to heighten the eye’s intimate but uncertain navigations of the world.
Suburban Superheroes | SPRUNG Dance Theatre
Suburban Superheroes celebrates the power and strength of extraordinariness amongst an ordinary world. This series of photographic portraits features artists with disability from Sprung Dance Theatre. The artists are captured in their local community of suburban (ordinary) Ballina, in self-made original superhero (extraordinary) costumes. It is the creative outcome of a disability-led process, developed in collaboration with Sprung Artistic Director, Daniele Constance (identifies), neurodivergent artist, Sarah Lewis (Lewis), and photographer, Jorge Serra.
All exhibitions open Wednesday 16 October and continue until Sunday 8 December. The official exhibition launch will be held 5.30 – 7.30pm, Thursday 17 October.
