GEELONG artist Rona Green has unveiled an exhibition of her work at Bendigo Art Gallery.
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Her exhibition – Champagne Taste and Lemonade Pockets – is a collection of anthropomorphic animals is something she has worked on for 10 years.
“This exhibition is especially for the Bendigo Art Gallery and I worked in conjunction with curator Jessica Bridgfoot to select work from the past 10 years of my printmaking practice,” Green said.
“So I guess it's a little survey for what been doing over last decade.”
Green said her figurative human-animal hybrid characters has always been interesting to her.
“I have always had an admiration of Egyptian art and loved that they had an admiration of animal characteristics in their gods and goddesses,” she said.
“They were hybrid characters and l always had fascination with it. So when I was picking works for this exhibition there was a a little bit of ‘who would work well in a room together?’.”
Many of the animals featured in Green’s are domesticated.
“I guess focusing on domestic animals or animals people have as pets ties in with that understanding of human nature,” she said.
“It’s an interesting subject because most people have had experience of (the animals) and can gel with the subject matter.”
Green, who studied fine art at La Trobe University in Bendigo, said being able to show here work alongside the La Trobe University revealing Identity display was a nice tie in.
“It’s good to come back after studying at La Trobe in Bendigo in the early 90s,” she said.
“In year 12 I had great art teacher who encouraged me into studying art. But when came to uni I had great lecturers who were so encouraging.
“They treated all the students as potential artists, took us seriously and gave us a feeling of being able to achieve our goals.”
Bendigo Art Gallery director Karen Quinlan said it was good to feature a former La Trobe student next to the Revealing Identity exhibition.
“I have always loved Rona’s work. it is a beautiful, colourful exhibition with enchanting images,” she said.
“It is also a nice contrast and as former student of La Trobe, segues into this (Revealing Identity).”
Rona Green’s exhibition Champagne Taste and Lemonade Pockets is on at the Bendigo Art Gallery from June 24 to September 3.
Gallery features La Trobe artworks
An exhibition feature the best of La Trobe University’s art collection opened at Bendigo Art Gallery last night.
Bendigo Art Gallery director Karen Quinlan said it has been a long time since these artworks have featured in an exhibition together.
“It’s fantastic. I think this exhibition works so well in our new spaces. It’s like it’s tailored for it,” she said.
“There is a great blend of mediums with not only the post-war collection but also the antiquities, propaganda posters, photography, ceramics and sculptures.
“So many artists in this exhibition are important in Australian art. It is great to be able to show it.”
Melbourne artist Dale Hickey features in the exhibition as does Grace Cossington Smith, Charles Blackman and Fred Williams.
“A lot of the collections are stored separately. It is wonderful to bring a bit of each to show the highlights and strengths of the whole collection.”
Revealing Identity is on at Bendigo Art Gallery from June 24 to September 3.