A surfeit of riches is on display at this yearβs 33rd annual Downlands Art Exhibition. There are 1,035 paintings on offer as well as 225 artworks, ceramics and millinery.
This yearβs offering, which has been presented in a beautifully designed setting, is regarded as being the finest in the showβs history. βWe feel this is quite possibly the best weβve ever had,β said the brilliantly creative Evan Hollis, who has been involved as curator of the exhibition since 2006 and is fresh from designing the sets for My Fair Lady.
A feature of Evanβs inclusion is a series of large oil painting by Thailandβs Maneeerashi Kampipop, who is known for her large scale, thinly layered organic shaped fields of colour. Evan also arranged for a number of impressive unframed indigenous paintings to be made especially for the show. Hailing from the Lockhart River in Far North Queensland, these artists are family members of Downlands students.
Many of the works showing were sourced by Buderim-based Fine Arts Consultant Tiffany Jones and these are highlighted by an extensive collection of Robert Dickerson paintings and drawings.
Also secured for the exhibition by Tiffany are selected works by well known Australian artists Darcy Doyle, Jason Benjamin, Norman Lindsay and Ray Crooke.
There is a strong theme of the Australian landscape with a spectacular feature being βNightβ (Straight Line) by Tim Storrier, who won the Archibald Prize in 2012 with his controversial βfacelessβ self portrait. Featuring among the offering are two βlittle gemsβ, priced at $15,000, by Greg Postle, who is a winner of the prestigious Holmes prize. Another βgemβ is an early 20th Century pastel nude by Janet Cumbrae Stewart, who is one of the few females to have shown with the major artists in the Paris Salon.
There is also a beautiful little monotype landscape βWalking Under The Gumsβ by Tom Garrett, who read Holy Orders with the Anglican Church until, about 1929, when he turned to being a professional painter. An added attraction of this monotype is that it was framed in stunning style by the renowned framer R.J. Reynolds. Feature artist Diana Battle, who describes her work as being under an umbrella of expressionistic/impressionistic/abstract, has 22 highly colourful entries, which have an appeal.
The exhibition, which was opened on September 20, will run through until September 28.
