Last week was the launch of the “Under the Sky” exhibition at the Ground Floor S. T. K. Art Space in St Kilda.
The gallery is displaying a variety of works from artists expressing themselves with one theme in mind. Gallery Manager and Curator Filitsa Giannopoulos explains, “It’s a group of artists and [it’s] basically the way they interpret landscapes.”
When it comes to landscapes, the 26-story building the gallery is in has its own story where the developer wanted to incorporate an art element into the project so instead of putting a statue or sculpture at the front or somewhere around the building, an art space was created inside.
“This gallery is very special because the City of Port Phillip has got a rule that if you have a building that is over two million dollars, the developer has to spend point five percent on public art,” said former Deputy Mayor and Councillor Serge Thomann.
“Artists need to get support from developers like here.”
The result is the space has been made rent free for 12 months as a trial. “Under the Sky” is the forth exhibition the gallery has run with nine artists displaying their unique works.
“It’s a fantastic space, it’s a really good space. There’s a lot of room to look at the artwork and there’s nothing that competes,” said photographer and artist Chris Bekos.
Bekos has his own technique where archival in jet print of acid free 100% cotton matte fine art paper sounds a mouthful but has great effect.
He wants people to look at something new but familiar in a very unfamiliar way with the use of lines, angles, and tonality with contrast.
“I’ve always signed off as an artistic photographer and then went into the commercial side of photography to make a living from it and then going back to the artistic side that gives me the ideas for my commercial work,” said Bekos.
Jullian Clavijo is the artist in residence at the gallery. He is interested in urban space transformation and his work reflects a keen eye for colour, pattern and realism. Currently his studio practice is based on capturing the human face of transnational conflict around the world. Focus on your Dreams – conception
Wood and acrylic.
Emma Nasifa work is inspired by the symmetry and geometry found in nature which is evident in her ‘Timber-reclaimed Tasmanian oak’.
Ash Coates utilizes acrylic on canvas where microorganisms form the shapes, composition and psychedelic tones within his work. It is a process of ritual and meditation on things and microscopic, magic and scientific.
Kim Stark also with acrylic on canvas likes to paint intuitively letting her feelings and heart guide what happens on the canvas.
Jay M. Trapp’s has a great passion for painting in cactus country which is in Strathmerton Victoria. This work is called “Ferocactus”
Another renowned photographer Oscar Ascencio has this work ‘Church of the Light’ on high gloss photographic.
In this ‘Otway Cool Waters’ Barbara Bateman utilized Oil on linen. Barbara works in the ‘plein-air’ tradition, encompassed by the bush to paint the sensed reality observed.
Cathy Quinn in ‘By Night’ is oil on linen. Her work are is an investigation into the possibilities of change and transformation.
Antoinette Ferwerda mixers her media on canvas-acrylic. Always fascinated with color, her first microscope inspired early investigation for pattern and she defined her world with sketches and drawings. This work is ‘Midnight Copper Hills’.
These are just some of the works on display at the “Under the Sky”, an exhibition that is inspiring and not to be missed.
“We want all locals to come along, have a look and support the local artists,” said Giannopoulos.
The exhibition closes on 26th of May.
Ground Floor S. T. K. Art Space
3-5 St Kilda Rd., St Kilda.
Enquiries: ninapequito@bigpond.com
+61 0 425 811 693
