Deliberations: Time and Light

Jane Gerrish & Rhonda Pryor

Gallery East, 21 Burnie St, Clovelly, NSW

21-24 March 2019

deliberation

noun

1. Long and careful consideration or discussion

Contemplation of the past and an examination of light’s meditative qualities provides the inspiration for Deliberations: Time and Light.

Common to the practices of each artist, these themes act as a connective thread throughout the exhibition yet are interpreted and expressed in a variety of unique ways.

Pervasive in the work, a subtle sense of weaving and layering also references the textile and design backgrounds of both Jane and Rhonda.

Requiring long periods of time to create, the highly finished tonal pieces which characterise Jane’s drawing practice are often informed by memory, the rich provenance of art history, and the practitioners who have gone before.

In her practice, Rhonda explores time, memory and a sense of place and has a particular interest in timeworn materials. This photographic work refers to worn, damaged, everyday objects used by her maternal grandmother, and contemplates the dissonance surrounding personal memory and how it influences the narratives we create around past events and familial bonds.

Both studied Fashion Design at East Sydney Technical College, beginning careers in fashion and textiles, and subsequently completing further Postgraduate studies in Design and Visual Art. They have since participated in many group and solo shows.

Trace Makers and Transitory States

Rhonda Pryor

Set in the contemplative space of memory, atmospheric washes of golden light flood through these evocative photographic images.

Symbolic motifs of the past are seen as slightly imperfect, sometimes tarnished, yet still enduringly beautiful. The patina of her grandmother’s tarnished heirloom silverware gleams, glimpses of antique textiles speak of the formality of bygone rituals, and a cracked antique watch face reminds the viewer of time’s relentless ticking.

A glycerine-filled lens employed in making the majority of the work abstracts the subject, creating a mysterious sense of the indistinct and leaving us wanting for the next chapter of this intriguing narrative.