AN eclectic mix of sculpture, printmaking and jewellery is taking pride of place in the Bendigo Visitor Centre’s Living Arts Space.
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Artists Trefor Prest, Rhyll Plant and Nena Perrill have combined their talents to present an exhibition infused with technical intricacy, mystery and a dash of humour.
Titled Mind Over Matter, the free exhibition officially opened on Saturday and will run until February 8.
Castlemiane-based Plant said her work paid homage to the centuries old art of wood-engraving.
“I owe my old teacher at La Trobe University (Tim Jones) a great debt for coming in and teaching me wood-engraving,” she said.
“I went there to be a painter and fortunately there wasn’t a painter in me, but there was a graphic illustrator and as it turned out a wood-engraver.
“There’s something about a tool that harks back to the 19th Century, a technique that goes about the same distance and keep this alive.”
Plant said she hoped art folk would find her work interesting, but also humorous.
“Personally I think art takes itself too seriously, but if you can make somebody laugh it’s an incredibly good thing to do,” she said.
“Me, I don’t have any grief in me, I don’t have any angst, or any black areas to explore.
“I’m very fortunate with this and it gives me a reason to experiment with humour.”
Prest’s sculptures are heavily influenced by the docks and industrial landscapes of his childhood spent in Wales and largely feature fabricated items such as steel, brass and timber.
The Castlemaine artist, who has exhibited overseas in Guam, Hawaii and Singapore, said sharing an exhibition with two others allowed his work to be showcased to a broader audience.
“It takes the pressure off … and it’s always good to have other people who mightn’t normally be here to see my work because they have come to see someone else's and vice-versa,” Prest said.
“Everything I do is made from scratch and it is not specifically referencing any other art, it comes from daily experiences.
“Sometimes I have an idea and I start working and it might up end like that (idea), or it might end up completely different.”
Perrill’s jewellery creations are crafted from recycled objects, with curious trinkets and embellishments spurred by her imagination.
The Bendigo artist's pieces are widely described as great conversation pieces.
The Living Arts Space is located at Bendigo’s historic post office on Pall Mall.