Gallery Reopening with exhibitions by David Hirst & Peta Cross
We’re incredibly pleased to announce that we will be reopening the gallery at fortyfivedownstairs on Tuesday 1 December. We can’t wait to welcome our audiences back into the space!
The first two exhibitions you will be able to feast your eyes on are by David Hirst and Peta Cross.
In his exhibition Faceless People, David Hirst traps emotions, memories and ideas in his abstracted painting and sculpture, to be shared with or re-interpreted by others.
The exhibition echoes the artist’s despair at the way in which the world is ignoring the effects of global warming on the inhabitants of the Pacific islands, despite their frequent requests for help. The abstracted sculptures and paintings reflect the lack of political power that inhabitants of these small isolated islands possess. Without help, many Pacific islands will be swamped by rising sea levels and sadly, many island cultures may disappear.
In the Small Gallery, Peta Cross presents a series of approximately 400 small Pochades created between 2010 – 2020. Pochade painting has been the practice of many painters since the Impressionists. Once out of the studio they wandered around with small panels and a couple of brushes tucked into the pocket of their greatcoats. They are quickly executed sketches in oil paint. A composition or fugitive passage of light could be recorded and the results, not too precious.
Peta Cross has made it her practice to paint the image in one shot, with no reworking. Of the later works completed over the decade, this is completely true. Hanging the unedited collection of these works, may help the viewer see the progression of the “one shot” idea.
Both exhibitions run 1 – 19 December 2020. We look forward to seeing you back in the gallery.
There will of course be limits on numbers in the gallery at one time, as well as a check in station and sanitiser in accessible areas throughout the gallery. We thank you for your patience as we implement our COVIDsafe plan to keep our artists, staff and audiences safe.
GALLERY HOURS Tuesday to Friday 11am – 5pm, Saturday 11am – 3pm