Broken Hill arts curator Hester Lyon is facilitating an exhibition of local artists work initiated and supported by Kandos’ Cementa Festival at Sydney art gallery Firstdraft this month.
Ms Lyon proposed the exhibition which showcases art in response to place.
“In a place like Broken Hill you’re at the coalface of these global concerns playing out on the micro scale” she said. “
“I’m interested in this as a condition for art making.”
Ms Lyon said that Broken Hill and Menindee artists were uniquely qualified to explore art in response to their surroundings as they live every day with a deep awareness of their connection to place.
“Living in the city you can be ideologically invested and still abstract yourself” she said.
“This exhibition explores a way of living in a place that isn’t theoretical. You’re literally within these political, environmental and social concerns. The interesting thing about this showcase is that these artists live in the place they’re making work about. There’s no distance from the subject.”
Ms Lyon selected five artists with strong connections to Broken Hill and Menindee; Verity Nunan, Dan Schulz, Tannya Quayle, Barb Quayle and Blake Griffiths to make art for the show.
“Ultimately it’s an opportunity to take these ideas and incredible artists and showcase them in Sydney” she said.
“We can give a bit of insight into what happens out here, because people are endlessly interested in Far West New South Wales.”
