Members of the South West Printmakers enjoy exploring the fascination of fine art printmaking and are partaking in the group’s twelfth exhibition at the Bunbury Regional Art Gallery, from now until January.
Donnybrook local Sue Dennis, Mumballup local Cynthia Dix, Bridgetown locals Christine Latham, Yvonne Dorricott and Lianne Jay, Kronkup local Carol Farmer, Dunsborough local Janette Trainer and Torbay Hill local Hulme-Gerrard will be in this year’s exhibition.
The South West Printmakers was formed in 2005 by a group of committed visual arts students from Bunbury TAFE and Edith Cowan University, together with their lecturer.
A passion for printmaking and learning to expand and share their knowledge and skills quickly became the primary focus of the group.
South West Printmakers member Yvonne Dorricott said she was the lecturer at Tafe and ECU, where she taught printmaking, drawing and art theory at the time the group was formed.
“It has been a wonderful experience over the last 12 years. We share information and help with processes, both old and new,” she said.
Ms Dorricott said Place Interrupted was chosen as this year’s theme at one of their monthly group meetings.
As the group work mostly in isolation these meetings provide an opportunity to re-connect with each other, to discuss ideas, share new techniques and projects.
South West Printmakers member Janette Trainer Place said the theme can be a geological thing, man made or earth movement.
“In my particular prints I’m quite into natural vegetation and protecting that so I look at how that can be interrupted,” she said.
South West Printmakers member Cynthia Dix said her inspiration for this year’s theme came mainly from her childhood memories of the catholic church and going on board a first class ship and how much of a privilege it was, but also how other children had a completely different upbringing to her.
“I explore how so many children’s lives have been interrupted from what should’ve been a different course by being sent to a different place,” she said.
The groups first exhibition was held in 2006 in the hallway on the ground floor at the Bunbury Regional Art Gallery, which displayed a project where each artist produced a folio of a set number of prints.
Since then the group has exhibited yearly at BRAG and over the years have increased their members and activities, such as workshops, exchange projects as well as floor talks to educate the public about the various processes.
The South West Printmakers Exhibition – Place Interrupted opens at 6pm Friday, October 26 at BRAG and runs until Saturday, January 5. A free talk and two workshops will also be held.