Briony Downes

Writer

Briony Downes is an arts writer based in Hobart. She has worked in the arts industry for over 20 years as a writer, actor, gallery assistant, art theory tutor and fine art framer. Most recently, she spent time studying Art History through Oxford University.

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Top Arts and ARTEXPRESS: What young people are thinking

Far from being a clunky display of papier-mâché heads and oil paintings of flowers, the contemporary Year 12 art exhibition incorporates multiple artforms produced with impressive technical skill.

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21st-century women take on tradition in Kinder, Küche, Kirche

JamFactory curator Caitlin Eyre explores the Barossa region’s long-standing connection to Germany in Kinder, Küche, Kirche: Revisiting the Traditions of Barossan Women’s Folk Crafts.

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The Botanical: Beauty and Peril

Unearthing relationships between the depictions of Western Australian flora and the state’s Indigenous, colonial and future legacy.

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The elusive fictions of Dale Frank

To augment the visual appeal of his paintings, Dale Frank works directly onto glass and Perspex to capture a reflective element canvas does not offer.

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Art in the dark: Dark Mofo

Now in its seventh year, Dark Mofo transforms Hobart into a red-hued spectacle of art, food and music.

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Suspended Moment

Three works by Katthy Cavaliere made in Goulburn chronicle the idiosyncrasies of place with the insight of a singular vision.

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Mirjana Dobson: Oecologia

Ceramic artist Mirjana Dobson is deeply inspired by Haeckel’s drawings and her work mimics the organic forms of ocean plants and animals, particularly those found in coral reefs.

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Kurt Herrmann: Bandits, Bears and Dirty Bombs

With a style reminiscent of the character driven images of Reg Mombassa and the dreamlike figures of Mirka Mora, Kurt Hermann visually references everything from Shakespeare to rattlesnakes.

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Australian Story

Recognised for writing and illustrating Australian children’s classics like The Rainbow Serpent, Goobalathaldin Dick Roughsey fostered an understanding of Indigenous culture.