Exhibition Opening Kyla Cresswell, Inge Doesburg

Exhibition Opening Kyla Cresswell and Inge Doesburg, May 17

Opening Saturday May 17 at Solander Gallery is a show of monotypes, mezzotints and drypoints by Dunedin artist Inge Doesburg and local artist and director of Solander, Kyla Cresswell.

Inge Doesburg’s large and layered prints explore the open, rugged, wind-swept landscapes of mainland New Zealand and the Chatham Islands. Capturing not only places, but also the feeling they evoke, Doesburg’s work encompasses the drama and colour of changeable skies against an expansive landscape.

Depicted on the border in many of Doesburg’s Chatham Islands works are figures based on dendroglyphs carved into the ancient Kopi trees by Moriori, which she studied when visiting the islands. At a time when the carvings themselves are becoming weathered, these serve as a connection to the past and a record of the present.

With a shift in scale from landscapes to the close at hand, Kyla Cresswell’s attention is on the margins, exploring the resilient, endangered and endemic native plants of the Wellington region. Depicting a line up of local ‘Inhabitants’, from the soft divaricating cloud of muehlenbeckia astonii to the simplicity and strength of the toothed lancewood, Cresswell creates a place in the sun for these unsung heroes of the hillsides.

The intimidating teeth and stark, sharp lines of the lancewood leaf drew Cresswell to investigate its form in detailed mezzotints and play with it in a jumble of bright red shadowed leaves. At the same time, Cresswell’s motivation also stems from the balancing role our native plants play in local ecosystems, as part of a bigger picture that challenges homogeneity.

ENDS

Exhibition Opening of Near and Far: Inge Doesburg and Kyla Cresswell Solander: works on paper, 95 Tirangi Rd (ground floor Vincent Aviation building), Lyall Bay, Wellington

Saturday May 17th, opening function 1pm – 3pm. Exhibition runs until June 21st. Gallery hours Thurs, Fri and Sat 10am – 5pm. www.solandergallery.co.nz

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