Miranda Skoczek’s abstract paintings evoke old walls with layers of forms and shapes that emerge over time. In her studio, she might work simultaneously on nine canvases. Transferring from one to the other, she allows each oil layer to dry before repeatedly painting over it until jewel-like colours resonate and a spatial sensibility has been established within which the viewer may dwell. Skoczek told Art Guide Australia,
In her exhibition of new work for Edwina Corlette Gallery, Rag Rugs and Lion Heads, she has made a shift to looser, more expressive works that are “minimal for me.” As her exhibition title suggests, these are inspired by tribal rag rugs created from any available material. The life force of kinship ties and traditions in these decorative works attracts Skoczek. “I want to emulate the feeling of cloth and textile, the emotion inherent in their materiality,” she says. Her other reference point is lions, particularly those in the art of Iran, as a touchstone of strength and personal power.
Skoczek’s own cultural heritage is eastern European (Polish, some Russian). While she was born in Australia, she explains, “The rich culture of textiles and traditional embroidery has always been present in my life. It’s innate.” In Shimmer, a wobbly horizon line divides the canvas in two. Within a predominantly green section above the line, soft pinks resonate both underneath and over the translucent green paint. Below the line are transparent colours, enigmatic shapes and a hint of graffiti mark-making. Their sensual textures, influences and colourful abstraction position these paintings as poetic visual essays.
Miranda Skoczek
Rag Rugs and Lion Heads
Edwina Corlette Gallery
14 November – 5 December
French-born/Belgium-based Laure Prouvost animates her first major Australian survey with her hallmark absurdism. ‘Oui Move In You’ is showing now at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art.
Kamilaroi/Bigambul artist Archie Moore has won the Golden Lion for Best National Participation at the Venice Biennale for his monumental work, kith and kin. It marks the first time Australia has won the award in the event’s 130-year history.
Endlessly inventive, the work of Hong Kong-born, Melbourne-based artist Scotty So spans photography, painting, video work, and drag performance. With a dual exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ballarat, So talks about pageantry, begonias and queens.
Julia Gutman works with textiles donated by family and friends, creating layered figurative tableaux. We stepped inside her studio in Lewisham in Sydney’s inner west, learning how connection is central to her practice.
“Sometimes I think of my paintings as a sound score to the pulse of the landscape.” Sue Lovegrove presents 12 new abstract landscape paintings in her latest show at Gallerysmith.
Congratulations to Marikit Santiago, who has won the 2024 La Prairie Art Award for her two works A Seat at the Table (Magulang) and A Seat at the Table (Kapatid).
