Lyndal Hargrave: Behind the cotton wool of reality

Lyndal Hargrave: Behind the cotton wool of reality

Figure 1. Lyndal Hargrave, Flourish, 2017. Oil on canvas. Edwina Corlette Gallery, accessed July 27, 2017, http://edwinacorlette.com/exhibitions/7507_lyndal-hargraveprismatics/8052/flourish Lyndal

Hargrave's exhibition 'Prismatics' is on display from the 11th of July till the 3rd of August 2017 at the Edwina Corlette Gallery, Brisbane. Lyndal Hargrave (1959-) is an Australian artist whose studio is based in Redland Bay, Queensland. Hargrave studied art and teaching at Kelvin Grove CAE university. Prior to persuing her passion for dedicated art making she taught for a number of years. For 20 years she juggled art-making and raising a family. Since 2006 she has dedicate time to her studio practice, with her works being added to collections nationally, and exhibiting in numerous group and solo shows.1 Hargrave won the 2011 Mosman Institute Sculpture Award, was a finalist in the International Lace Award at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, the Stan and Maureen Duke Prize, and the Blake Prize Directors Cut Exhibition . At the heart of Hargrave's art practice and understanding of the universe, are the concepts of fractal geometry and cellular biology. “I’m drawn to patterns that shape our universe – the hexagons of a beehive, the fractals of a fern, the prisms of minerals,”3 says Hargrave. “It is a constant idea of mine that behind the cotton wool (of daily reality) is hidden a pattern, that we – I mean all human beings – are connected with this: that the whole world is a work of art; that we are parts of the work of art.” (Lyndal quoting Virginia Woolf, Moments of Being2 ) Hargrave’s explorations use key elements of repetition and complexity to consider theories of evolution, connectivity and interdependence and the belief that we are not separate from the world, but a part of it. Working intuitively, these explorations result in a kaleidoscope of patterns and grids, fragmented and prismatics expressed through painting and sculptural forms that is indicative of her practice.2 Hargrave states that her arts practice serves to filter her internal and external worlds, allowing her to understand the meaning of balance and explore the liminal space between order and chaos . This exhibition consists of a collection of 15 oil paintings, each 120cm square and 2 plinth based sculptural forms which were primarily produced between 2016 to 2017, with the exception of A CAPPELLA [Figure 3] which was produced in 2013. The two sculptures A CAPPELLA being three forms made of piono keys, standing 70cm each and BLOX being multiple wire mesh cubes presented on a plate with the total dimension of 45 x 87 x 70cm. “I’m moving away from hard edge geometry to a more organic, lighter approach.” 3says Hargrave. From a distance the paintings appear to have a graphic design, digitally rendered, hard edge, execution. But upon closer inspection one sees painterly mark making,soft, uneven, feathered edges and gaussian bluring. This new painterly method is particularly evident in the paintings STAR LEMON QUARTZ, FLOURISH [Figure 1], FORBIDDEN FRUIT as opposed to the predominatly geometic approach in AMO ROSSO [Figure 2]

Figure 2. Lyndal Hargrave, AMO ROSSO, 2017. Oil on canvas. Edwina Corlette Gallery, accessed July 27, 2017, http://edwinacorlette.com/exhibitions/7507_lyndal-hargraveprismatics/8048/amo-rosso

With this variation in the execution of the paintings in mind the Edwina Corlette Gallery has successfully displayed the paintings throughout the space so that they read coherently. But the inclusion of the sculptural works appears to be a secondary consideration due to their aesthetic disconnection to the paintings and placement within the gallery space. The plinth supporting the sculpture BLOX is used as the place holder for the pricelist and artist statement as one enter the exhibition, with A CAPPELLA being displayed in the doorway towards the rear of the gallery. Aesthetically the sculptures lack resonance with the paintings, through the lack of the prismatics, coloration, scale, and particularly the 'ready made' materiality of A CAPPELLA. The latter could possibly be an earlier itteration of Hargrave's explorations into reconfigured componenty of human habitation that was included in the exhibition.

Figure 3. Lyndal Hargrave, A CAPPELLA, 2017. Oil on canvas. Edwina Corlette Gallery, accessed July 27, 2017, http://edwinacorlette.com/exhibitions/7507_lyndal-hargraveprismatics/8081/a-cappella

The Edwina Corlette Gallery is a commercial gallery, located in a re-purposed building in a semi industrial aesthetic, with exposed copper piping and polished concrete floor, and white chiprock walls. The space is divided into two section, one L shaped with natural lighting from the roadside facing windows, a second small internal is small where the gallery attendant, is seated, relying primarily on artificial lighting. While the artists statement and price list were provided for patrons, these were to be kept on the premisis. The Edwina Corlette Gallery has successfully displayed the works within the framework of the commercial gallery system, which was evident with many of the works donning the red dot sticker. While it is easy to be caught up in the didactic and dogmatic concerns and theories underlying Hargraves works, take the time to become immersed in the shimmering compositions of form, color and prismatic patterns. The artist has intended for the viewer to be drawn into the works, inspiring a contemplative and instrospective state, and inviting interprative abstract thought.

 3 Edwina Corlette Gallery, "Lyndal Hargrave" URL: http://edwinacorlette.com/index.php?p=news/p7 Accessed July 27, 2017.
2 Dr Bunyan, Marcus 2009. "all the little pieces’ by lyndal hargrave at anita traverso gallery, richmond, melbourne" Artblart. URL: https://artblart.com/2009/09/12/review-all-the-little-pieces-by-lyndal-hargraveat-anita-traverso-gallery-richmond-melbourne/ Accessed July 27, 2017.
 1 Walton, Natalie 2016. "Artist Lyndal Hargrave" Daily Imprint. URL: http://www.dailyimprint.net/2016/02/artist-lyndal-hargrave.html Accessed July 27, 2017.