Art on the Road: Wangaratta & Rushworth

Whoops! My February edition of Art on the Road is coming a little late - but have no fear! I have been doing plenty of adventuring to catch you up on!

Rhonda the Rav and I didn't rack up quite as many miles as January - 400km less to be exact.

But I still travelled the equivalent distance from London to Berlin, which is a pretty good effort if you ask me!

In February I travelled to Wangaratta, Melbourne, Echuca & Rushworth - all spectacular places in Victoria:

But today, we're focusing on Wangaratta and Rushworth.

Sooooo...... shall we?

Stop 1: Wangaratta Art Gallery & Art Gallery on Ovens

Wangaratta was a very sweet town, and not a bad size either! 30,002 people live there, and it is considered to be located in the heart of the North East region of Victoria.

Plenty was happening when I visited! Including a lovely little Farmers' Market selling produce from chocolate cruffins (a hybrid of a croissant and a muffin I think?!) and edible flowers, to locally-made crafts and pottery!

The nearby Holy Trinity Cathedral was even providing a soothing organ concert.

What can I say - it was a feast for all of the senses!

The Wangaratta Art Gallery wasn't too far away, and since I had heard great things - I knew I had to check it out, and it didn't disappoint!

At the time of my visit, the gallery was exhibiting two friends - Britt Salt and Hannah Gartside - who had met at the Victorian College of the Arts in 2023.

Over a cup of tea, they realised that they shared a common interest in using textiles to explore themes of space, movement, intimacy and curiosity with the body.

Whilst Britt uses thread, vinyl and aluminum to create her works, Hannah experiments with worn nighties, slips and even cat hair!

Yes - you read that right. One of Hannah's works, From Lucy, with love (2016) consists of a constellation of balls of fur from her beloved pet cat, Lucy (1996-2016).

Though, its the nighties that really interested me.

Combining her 5 years of experience as a costume-maker, Hannah creates sculptures and installations out of vintage women's clothing, primarily sleepwear from the 50s, 60s and 70s.

With such a delicate fabric, both in materiality and their societal context, she transforms them into all-encompassing towers and ceiling swings that take up a lot of room in the gallery space.

So much room, that you inevitably find yourself moving through the fabric, whether you want to or not.

I love that the works are immersive, and that viewers are encouraged to touch the fabrics as they walk through.

But what I love most is the fundamental irony of using items of clothing that connote with softness, delicacy and vulnerability, in order to create large, towering sculptures that mimic the firmness of a robust, stone column, standing upright and strong.

What I also found interesting is the complexity of feelings I felt upon viewing Hannah's works.

I initially felt awe. The sight was just so aesthetically-pleasing.

From the array of pretty pastel colours, and the frills and feminine patterns - I even loved the way that the bright gallery lighting exaggerated the sheerness of the fabric, melting multiple pastel colours into one.

But that was soon interrupted by a feeling of transgression - when the awareness of what these items represented sunk to an ultimate inner monologue of:

'Wait... I shouldn't be looking at these. They're nightgowns. They're usually not on display, they're hidden, and reserved for private, intimate moments'

Which was only emphasised when knowing that the items had been worn...

Suddenly, you feel the absence of bodies. Instead of acting as just an inanimate hanging garment, each nightie or slip comes to life and becomes active in your mind.

Each nightie belongs to someone, and with that someone is a connection to an individual's life and their associated memories, feelings and stories.

I find myself thinking about the women who once wore these nighties in 1965. What were their stories? Their names? Did wearing these items bring them comfort? Confidence? Joy? Dread?

I'm suddenly hoping that these garments are attached to happy, loving and sentimental moments in these women's lives that I will never know but can only imagine.

Despite the fragility of her medium, Hannah's works were confronting and pressing, leaving me with a reminder that clothing holds more than just its material weight.

You can find out more about Hannah through her website www.hannahgartside.com or through her Instagram @hannahgartsidestudio as well as her co-exhibiter @brittsalt.

Okay! Moving on!

Art Gallery on Ovens was a happy little surprise, and it was such a delight to be able to meet one of the exhibiting artists there: Catherine Pianta.

Catherine is primarily a painter, aiming to display beauty in nature and human-made structures through bright, energetic colours, familiar shapes and forms.

Her works brought life and vibrancy to the space, and spotting the little musical note prints cheekily submerged within her works was a special addition, particularly when understanding the sentimental value behind them. Thank you Catherine for taking the time to chat to me about your wonderful practice!

You can find more of Catherine's works through her website www.catherinepiantaart.co.au or on her Instagram: @catherinepiantaart

Art Gallery on Ovens (@artgalleryonovens on Instagram) is committed to providing local or regional artists with a space to display their work all year round, with each resident artist being allocated to 2 weeks per year for a solo exhibition, in additional to several group exhibitions. They have plenty going on throughout the year, so I would definitely check them out if you're in the area!

Stop 2: Campaspe Artists Studio Trail

Now if you have been an avid blog follower for the last five years, you will know that I love myself an arts trail!

And for those who are new, I used to create outdoor arts trails for the Merseyside community during the COVID-19 lockdowns. They were published in Art in Liverpool and can be found if you scroll down my blog page if that kinda thing tickles your fancy!

Now I stumbled upon the Campaspe Art Trail purely by chance when visiting Rushworth for the day, so sadly I didn't get to explore the entire map:

Over the weekend of 22-23 February, 27 artists and makers from 10 towns across the Campaspe Shire opened their studio doors to the public!

It is a beautiful initiative that enables people to get an insight into the behind the scenes of creatives and their practice.

For me personally, the conversations that come out of going to an artist's studio always fill my cup! I love hearing about their lives, their careers, what motivates them, what inspires them, and ultimately why they love doing what they do.

I often get to see a little snapshot into the techniques and materials they use, and sometimes the process, which always gets my art-nerdy senses going!

I first stopped by Angie Russi's studio, which was SO beautiful. You walked through a little garden haven of ceramics and water features, entering a little cottage at the end of the walkway.

I say little, but the studio was actually extensive, filled with beautiful porcelain and high fired stoneware clay ceramics.

She is very much inspired by her natural environment, especially birds and other winged creatures - which is rooted in her childhood memories of growing up in country Victoria on her family farm.

I loved seeing Angie's studio, and seeing a lot of works in progress.

You can find out more about Angie through her website www.angierussi.com.au or on Instagram: @angie_ceramics

I also popped into the Rushworth Art Depot, where artists Kerrie Raglus, Gillian Schoenborn and Heather Wellington were exhibiting.

I loved hearing about how Heather combines textiles and painting to create her pieces, even using materials from the beach to make her works 3D. Very cool!

When we think about art, we often associate it with the final product that we see attached to a gallery wall or sat on a plinth in a museum. As audiences, it isn't often that we get to interact with the producers of these works, and better yet, see how they were created in the first place. You automatically feel more attached to what you see, because you have been allowed to be part of the journey of its becoming.

So February was a very fulfilling month in that regard - let's see who and what and where March brings!