Monoprints and Paintings
8 August – 29 September 2013
Have you ever really explored the forest floor while bush walking or the cracks in a broken city pavement or the strange crevices in a decaying wall? Are they chance markings or are they symbols and signs? Most people walk past unaware, un-noticing; but some, like artist Kim Barter, see these markings as aesthetic abstractions; subjects for her Expressionist monoprints and paintings.
Her exhibition ‘Markings’ makes visual reference to the tradition of 20th century artists Antoni Tapies, Jean Dubuffet, Luciano Fontana and Alberto Burri. The exhibition consists of a series of abstract works that use a restricted colour palette and bold gestural marks. She describes walking daily through the forest near her studio in Central Victoria where her eye settles on and discovers elusive and mysterious marks – a twig fallen across another to create a cross, the overlapping repetitive ‘scribble’ lines a branch has scratched in the dry soil, bold scarred patches of burnt bark on remaining trees after the Black Saturday fires. When studying her works, the viewer experiences the same excitement of discovery and recognition.
Her expressive works may be seen at Falkner Gallery, 8 August – 29 September, Thursday – Sunday 11 – 5.
The artist will be present Saturday 10 August 2 – 4pm