The events of 2020 have highlighted the need for collaboration and supporting each other as a community and so Canberra Glassworks has partnered with Suki & Hugh Gallery to present this exhibition.
Ingrid Bowen, Susie Dureau, Sharon Field, Sara Freeman, Hannah Gason, Stefan Gevers, Isobel Rayson, Harriet Schwarzrock, Jo Victoria.
Adaptation
noun: the process by which a species becomes fitted to its environment
There is a wall plaque at the bottom of my parent’s garden that reads ‘To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow’. There is a simple truth to this statement, somehow it encapsulates the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature, the great reliance between us.
In this exhibition, 9 artists respond to the year that was 2020 on the theme of Adaptation. In the mediums of glass, drawing, painting and ceramics, their inspiration is largely drawn from nature. The power of nature to both destroy and heal has been felt acutely throughout 2020. We have sought sanctuary from her and in her.
When reflecting on and distilling major events, it could be said that artists and creatives have an advantage. First, there is the haven of the artists’ studio. When life’s necessities are whittled down to the basics, the artists’ studio withstands the cut back. A place to retreat and to restore, in some cases it has been condensed from a room to a table, to an area of a table, to an area outside on a table. But it prevails.
Then, faced with isolation and lock down the creative brain finds new ways of getting things done. When kilns were broken, framers closed or materials in short supply, there were only alternatives, solutions, improvements. Even without hope of an audience or an accolade. Working in a new realm has opened opportunities for those willing and able to adapt.
Whilst we have been tested by fire, drought, and the pandemic the overarching sentiment remains hopeful. There seems to be a sense of liberation and satisfaction that comes with accepting the now.
Ultimately, belief in tomorrow fosters endurance, resilience and gently encourages us to adapt to our changed environment. Adaptation is a salute to moving forward in whatever environment we find ourselves.
Susan Foxlee
Suki & Hugh Gallery
Canberra Glassworks
25 November – 20 December 2020