Pictured above, right: progress view of Masked Australian Painted Lady, acrylic on canvas on board. The study to its left, a finished work in its own right, is destined for the upcoming One Hundred Faces exhibition at Playing in the Attic.
Deborah Klein's Art Blog
'I like a view, but I like to sit with my back turned to it.' Gertrude Stein 1874-1946
Monday, March 18, 2024
Work in progress: Masked Australian Painted Lady
Pictured above, right: progress view of Masked Australian Painted Lady, acrylic on canvas on board. The study to its left, a finished work in its own right, is destined for the upcoming One Hundred Faces exhibition at Playing in the Attic.
Sunday, March 17, 2024
2024 Ballarat Begonia Festival highlights
Friday, March 8, 2024
Flashback Friday
In anticipation of the renowned Ballarat Begonia Festival this coming long weekend: a flashback to Begonia Virus 2, 2020, acrylic on canvas board, 10 x 10 cm, private collection).
The photo directly below was taken at the 2020 Ballarat Begonia Festival, which was, as always, a spectacular affair.
Begonia Virus 2 was made in the relatively early, still uncertain months of the Corona Virus. (I never could resist a play on words). It is one of two paintings created for the first annual One Hundred Faces exhibition at Playing in the Attic, then located in Ballarat, now thriving and blooming in nearby Talbot.
Who knew that this and its sister work, Begonia Virus 1 (2020, private collection), not to mention those made for subsequent iterations of One Hundred Faces, would be precursors to my current work?
Monday, March 4, 2024
Scotty So: Queen of the Begonias
Here are some snapshots of last Saturday evening’s splendid launch of the Scotty So short film Queen of the Begonias and the Nan Goldin exhibition, The Ballad of Sexual Dependency at the Art Gallery of Ballarat.
1 L-R top: Shane Jones, myself, Scotty So, Tim Jones and Spencer Harrison. (Shane, Tim and I have cameos in Queen of the Begonias and Spencer - among several other hats he wore - was the DOP).
3 Post-opening celebratory meal in the Oddie Gallery;
4-5 above (snapped on the day after the opening): Screenshot with me, Shane, Scotty and Tim, followed by closing credits.
It was a privilege and a pleasure to be a small part of Queen of the Begonias. The film, which was commissioned by the Art Gallery of Ballarat, will be screening 24/7 on the gallery’s Big Screen until 4 April.
To view an excerpt from Queen of the Begonias, click HERE.
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Whereabouts: the journey continues
As recently reported, Whereabouts: Printmakers Respond, concluded its run at the Art Gallery of Ballarat on Sunday, 4 February. Curated by Rona Green, the exhibition comprised print-based works by 56 Victorian-based artists, many of whom were in attendance at the exhibition’s closing event.
It was subsequently my honour to place Edition no. 57/57 of the handsome Whereabouts folio in the hands of Art Gallery of Ballarat Curator Julie McLaren (pictured above, far right) on behalf of Rona Green and fellow Whereabouts artists. (See below). The folio will shortly become part of the gallery’s permanent collection.
On March 22, with a slightly different title, it will open at Solander Gallery, with all 56 of the original Whereabouts artists on board:
Sue Anderson, Elizabeth Banfield, Matthew Clarke, Paul Compton, Miranda Costa, Fiona Davey, Rachel Derum, Mark Dustin, Grace Eve, Philip Faulks, Kevin Foley, Eleanor Franks, David Frazer, Tyronne Gietzmann, Silvi Glattauer, Jackie Gorring, Rona Green, Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison, Greg Harrison, Bill Hay, Judy Horacek, Anita Iacovella, Kyoko Imazu, Deborah Klein, Gillian Kline, Anita Laurence, Dianne Longley, Michael Lye, Marion Manifold, Cassie May, Aaron McLoughlin, Glenn Morgan, Carnegie Muir, Angela Nagel, Billy Nye, James Pasakos, Jim Pavlidis, Catherine Pilgrim, Michael Reynolds, Cathy Ronalds, David Rosengrave, John Ryrie, Libby Schreiber, Gwen Scott, Heather Shimmen, Glen Smith, Ruth Stanton, Neale Stratford, Sophia Szilagyi, Helen Timbury, Clayton Tremlett, Peter Ward, Deborah Williams, Joel Wolter and Jessi Wong.
My sincere thanks to Rona Green, whose phenomenal vision, persistence and organisational skills made this project happen. It has been a privilege to be part of the exhibition and print exchange and I will treasure my own Whereabouts folio.
Whereabouts: Artists Respond – An Exhibition of Printmaking
Exhibition dates: 22 March – 4 May 2024
Solander Gallery
218 Willis Street, Wellington 6011 NZ
Open Friday – Saturday 11am – 3pm or by appointment
Tel +644 920 0913
Email info@solandergallery.co.nz
Monday, February 26, 2024
UNSOLVED HISTORIES (Save the date)
It was a lovely surprise to discover this listing in the Autumn Issue of Best of Ballarat in our local cafe this afternoon. Do save the date:
4-26 MAY
DEBORAH KLEIN
UNSOLVED HISTORIES
Deborah Klein’s iconic ‘rear view portraits’ allude to the countless women who have fallen through the cracks of history. Her latest solo exhibition marks the first time this body of paintings and works on paper, created over the last 6 years, has been exhibited in Ballarat.
Old Butchers Shop Gallery
112 Seymour Street
Open weekends 12-4 pm or by appointment.
The exhibition runs in conjunction with Ballarat Heritage Festival 2024.
Sunday, February 25, 2024
Late summer in the studio
Above: Current works in progress, all acrylic on canvas board, under the eye of Eustixis caminaea Moth Mask, an oil pastel from 2007.
Below: Earlier developmental views of the painting (as yet untitled) on the drawing board.
Further progress views will follow shortly.
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Spring and Summer
Monday, February 5, 2024
Whereabouts - Closing Event
Here are few shots from yesterday afternoon’s delightful closing event for Whereabouts - Printmakers Respond at the Art Gallery of Ballarat. (See previous post).
Friday, February 2, 2024
Whereabouts - Final Days
Where has the time gone? Whereabouts: Printmakers Respond finishes its long and successful run at the Art Gallery of Ballarat this Sunday, 4 February. The exhibition was curated by Australian printmaking legend, Rona Green, who invited 56 established and emerging Victorian artists to create a print edition relating to their “whereabouts - the place where someone or something is”.
Whereabouts
Art Gallery of Ballarat
40 Lydiard Street North,
Wadawurrung Country, Ballarat VIC 3350
Artists: Sue Anderson, Elizabeth Banfield, Matthew Clarke, Paul Compton, Miranda Costa, Fiona Davey, Rachel Derum, Mark Dustin, Grace Eve, Philip Faulks, Kevin Foley, Eleanor Franks, David Frazer, Tyronne Gietzmann, Silvi Glattauer, Jackie Gorring, Rona Green, Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison, Greg Harrison, Bill Hay, Judy Horacek, Anita Iacovella, Kyoko Imazu, Deborah Klein, Gillian Kline, Anita Laurence, Dianne Longley, Michael Lye, Marion Manifold, Cassie May, Aaron McLoughlin, Glenn Morgan, Carnegie Muir, Angela Nagel, Billy Nye, James Pasakos, Jim Pavlidis, Catherine Pilgrim, Michael Reynolds, Cathy Ronalds, David Rosengrave, John Ryrie, Libby Schreiber, Gwen Scott, Heather Shimmen, Glen Smith, Ruth Stanton, Neale Stratford, Sophia Szilagyi, Helen Timbury, Clayton Tremlett, Peter Ward, Deborah Williams, Joel Wolter and Jessi Wong.
Pictured top on the opening day of the exhibition, Saturday 18 November, 2023: selected Whereabouts artists with Art Gallery of Ballarat Director Louise Tegart. L-R back row and L-R front row: Louise Tegart, Deborah Klein, Sue Anderson, Jackie Gorring, Michael Reynolds, Kevin Foley, Neale Stratford, Miranda Costa, Silvi Glattauer, Rona Green, James Pasakos, Cathy Ronalds.
Directly following it are a series of installation views. Pictured below: works by Rona Green, myself, Miranda Costa and Gillian Kline.
Photo credit for first and final views: Cathy Ronalds.