The Somerset Regional Art Gallery – The Condensery has recently welcomed new exhibition Sitting Quietly by Elizabeth Poole to its gallery walls.
This beautiful display, capturing the artist’s joy and appreciation of the Brisbane Valley’s natural environment, features various 2D and 3D artwork pieces made from organic and industrial objects. In this exhibit you are invited to sit quietly for a moment and marvel at this magical display, take in each detail of every installation and see the Brisbane Valley’s natural environment like you have never seen it created before.
THE ARTIST BEHIND THE EXHIBITION…GET TO KNOW ELIZABETH POOLE
WHY DO YOU DO, WHAT YOU DO?
Basically, I can’t help but make things, draw, create – it has always been a part of me since I could first hold a pencil and play with whatever came to hand (sticks, pods, clay, pencil, paper, paint).
WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND?
I was born at Roma in Western Queensland, into a farming family. We moved to the Darling Downs at age two and from age seven my home was a 10,000acre cattle property in South Burnett. I was home schooled and loved the isolation and wild landscape. At age 13 I went to boarding school in Toowoomba, then to The National Art School, East Sydney, both of which I loved. Following marriage and two children I lived on the Sunshine Coast for 40 years until moving out to our current home in Biarra in 2007.
HOW DO YOU WORK?
I work alone in a purpose built shed on our small property, often playing classical music, or just simply enjoying the quiet, the birds and other wildlife in the surrounds. The quiet is very important to my ability to manifest ideas and concepts.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ARTWORK AND WHY?
After gradually moving from painting landscapes to predominantly creating 3D and installation works, I have found that a variety of media is more capable of aptly expressing my views on environmental issues and human and animal rights. I can’t really say what would be my favourite piece, I have done so many projects and exhibitions – all different, all challenging. I feel very fortunate to have this passion.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE AS AN ARTIST?
After the ultimate joy of making and creating, the great reward is to feel that I have been able to convey some sense of the joy and pathos that I am attempting to share through my work, about this amazing world we live in.
Other than that, I can’t say, there has been so many memorable experiences – all exciting, different and challenging. A few fond memories include being selected as Grand Champion of Toowoomba Show as a child, going to Art School in Sydney (an extraordinary experience for a raw country kid), my inaugural solo exhibition at The Macquarie Galleries in 1973, showing in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, parts of New Zealand, working with indigenous artists, children, great architects and photographers, as well as being commissioned to do an installation at The 2018 Commonwealth Games earlier this year, and now exhibiting at the Somerset Regional Art Gallery – The Condensery. This is significant to me because I am able to celebrate this very special environment and complexity of small communities that make up Somerset, helping me to share some of the magic I feel for the area, with people who live and work in the area.
Exhibition:
Sitting Quietly by Elizabeth Poole
Where:
Somerset Regional Art Gallery – The Condensery
29 Factory Road, Toogoolawah
Exhibition Dates:
Saturday, 16 June until Sunday, 23 September 2018
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Use the hashtags
#experiencesomerset
#somersetqld
#elizabethpoole
#sittingquietly
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VISIT SOMERSET REGIONAL ART GALLERY – THE CONDENSERY
29 Factory Road, Toogoolawah
07 5423 1036
Open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 4pm Saturday to Sunday
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