ARTFUL ALCHEMY
AUGUST 9 – SEPTEMBER 30
In ancient times, alchemy was the magical transformation of base materials into precious metals, perfumes or elixirs of life. As well as observation and experimentation with minerals, plant and animal extracts, alchemists were also concerned with mystical symbols and spiritual enlightenment.
Today, Artful Alchemy is the virtuosity of an artist skilful with paints and brush, a musician bringing to life their voice and instruments, a chef’s masterpiece equally pleasing to the eye and tastebuds.
Gang Gang Gallery brings you a fully immersive Art of Lunch experience on Sunday 29 Septrember with Artful Alchemy. Five well-known artists present totally different perceptions of Blue Mountains environments, astonishing us with their originality and insight. It is intriguing how each artist’s vision and depiction of the natural environment is so distinctive. They all start off with the same materials – paints, brushes, canvas – and transform these base elements into artworks that evoke emotional, and sometimes spiritual or philosophical, responses.
Often painting ‘en plain air’, Jane Canfield’s tonal studies can capture the seasonal chill of winter, the mountain’s moody atmospherics or distant urbanscapes, discovering their essence in broad strokes rather than representational detail.
French-born and educated at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, Nadege Lamy has immersed herself into the Australian environment, which she interprets through the prism of her French-Australian culture and interest in Asian philosophies. She aims to express the meditative, spiritual exchange that she experiences.
From her eyrie overlooking the Hawkesbury River, Mellissa Read-Divine uses expressionistic, immediate style to render vivid and spectacular large-scale paintings of river landscapes, flora and birdlife.
As a youth Ray Harrington frequented famous London galleries, drawing inspiration from Turner and French Impressionists. Since setting out in earnest on his creative path as a painter based at Blackheath, he has developed his own style of impressionism in oils with emphasis on light and colour.
Yaja Hadrys practices a different type of alchemy. She goes on seasonal gathering trips, collecting her Blue Mountains native plant materials – flowers, leaves, twigs, barks. She concocts bundles of carefully selected plants, tightly binds them in a cocoon of silk and steams the bundles in her ‘eucalyptus stews’ . When the silk fabric is released from its cocoon you see its amazing transformation into an echo of nature.
Musician . . . . .
Roy McVeigh, Executive Chef of multi-award winning Darley’s Restaurant, has designed his highly creative spin on Artful Alchemy in harmony with the exhibition.
mi'anderin
July 19 – August 4
MI’ANDERIN – a collaborative exhibition by Kate St James, Catherine Whitting and Monique Sartor
Presented by Barbara Hamilton and Curated by Mary Brown
Gang Gang Gallery, Lithgow
When four creatives meet at the Sydney Home Show and discover their joint love of art, only great things can happen.
Interior designers are no strangers to selecting and specifying art in their residential and commercial projects but not all interior designers are artists in their own right. Discovering each other’s talents and passion for art and brought together by a fellow designer and art enthusiast, things could only take off for this trio.
Mi’andarin is an exhibition of original art by design duo Kate St James and Catherine Whitting from the St James Whitting studio and Monique Sartor from Sartorial Interiors. Interior designer, Barbara Hamilton owner and curator of The Curious Art Bar, recognised their talents and brought the artists together and now represents them nationally.
St James and Whitting started creating collaboratively in 2016. After graduating from Sydney College of the Arts with a degree in Visual Art and design, Catherine Whitting took on various roles from teaching art at high school, running her interior design business and lecturing interior design at the Design Centre, Enmore – a role she still undertakes in conjunction with running her design practice St James Whitting along with Kate St James. Whitting has exhibited her art in Australia and New Zealand since 1993 and her works feature in many private and commercial collections.
Prior to joining forces with Whitting, St James’ career spanned more than 30 years as an interior designer and design magazine editor. The pairs’ collaboration came about through their realised passions for design and they started working together in 2016. Discovering each other’s talents for art and photography they began experimenting in various mediums, culminating in a series of collaborative as well as individual works, which they exhibited in three successful exhibitions in 2017.
There is a deep connection to nature and the environment in St James’ and Whitting’s works. In this current exhibition abstracts and mixed media reflect joint and collaborative journeys of travels and experiences, nostalgia, the present, fleeting moments and the past. Colour and textural techniques are explored layer upon layer – the common denominators found in their environments and in their works.
Monique Sartor has been a keen amateur photographer for almost twenty years. She focuses on the stories behind the image. She also believes in allowing for happy accidents such as blur, shards of light and grain which some might consider a fault but Monique sees them as adding to the mystery!
Blanc & Noir is a photographic retrospective of culture and landmarks through the lens of Monique Sartor, with her perfectly fitting subtitle ‘my life, my lens.’
Beautiful photography has the ability to draw us into a story; even if we know little about what that might actually be. Moody black and white shots, blur and grain add to the mystery, allowing our imaginations to fill in the blanks”.
From famous landmarks to traditional costumes, Monique focuses on detail and atmosphere and applying a healthy dose of humour to her works.
The exhibition will include original and mixed-media paintings, limited edition artworks, fine art photography, handmade jewellery by MZ Form, and home wares and apparel all featuring the artists’ original works.
Kate St. James, FDIA is an interior designer and the founding editor of Universal Magazines’ Home Design and Living Series of magazines including Grand Designs Australia and Home Design. Along with qualifications in interior design, Kate also studied journalism. Her specialty is environmentally sustainable architecture and design.
Kate’s early working life was as a journalist in London followed by a successful career in high end residential, commercial, hospitality, health and aged-care interior design in Australia with her own company, The Design Works. Clients included TriCare; Futurecare Pty Ltd, Glenvale Villas Pty Ltd, Retirement Plus Pty Ltd, TLF Developments, Devine Constructions, Endeavour Foundation and Country Comfort Hotels, along with residential clients in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney, Tasmania and London.
During her design career Kate also wrote for many design publications on topics such as interior design, environmentally-sustainable design, space planning and facility management as well as teaching at Queensland College of Art, and KVB College of Art and Design in Sydney. She has also held positions as Queensland Chapter Convenor and National Executive member of the Society of Interior Designers of Australia. She is currently a Fellow of the Design Institute of Australia in which role she actively supports and promotes the industry and encourages students and emerging designers. Kate’s background was instrumental in providing the necessary qualities for her role as Editor-in-Chief of one of Australia’s leading niche market publishers of home design magazines, a position she held for more than 16 years. Kate currently freelances to Universal Magazines across several design titles.
In 2007 Kate received a 20-year citation from the Design Institute of Australia for services to the design industry. In 2008 Kate was selected as part of the prestigious collation by Crown Content – Who’s Who of Australian Women “Leadership and Beyond”. This publication marks the lives of women who have made a significant contribution to Australian life, whether at a community, state, national or international level. In 2009, Kate’s biography was once again included in the publication Who’s Who of Australian Women “Lessons we Learn”. Her biography currently appears annually in this publication.
Kate is the immediate past President of the Australian Architecture Association, an organisation whose mission is to promote architecture to the wider community through its tours, talks, seminars and programs. Kate was a board member of the NSW Architects Registration Board; her role was to represent public interest and consumer views.
Kate St James currently consults to individuals and companies wishing to include eco-friendly, sustainable design practices and products into their projects. Kate is a regular guest on the Eussen Living segment of community radio 99.3FM and presents at seminars and exhibitions. Her topic? Sustainable design!
Kate has written three e-books on sustainable design and interiors – Greening Your Home and Your Life, Interior Focus and Future-Proofing Your Interiors – and contributed chapters on sustainable design in Create Your Dream Sanctuary by Victoria Millar-Wise and Healthy Planet, Healthy People, Healthy Home by Helen Edwards.
Her vision has always been to promote an awareness ofAustralian and international architecture and design to demonstrate to the wider community the meaningful way it can impact on our lives.
“Everybody has the right to experience good design” – Kate St James, FDIA
Catherine Whitting is an artist, interior designer, interior decorator, colour consultant and property stylist who has been consulting and transforming interiors for her clients since 1999. Catherine currently consults in residential and commercial interior design specialising in sustainable product specification, personalisation and business branding.
She has renovated and designed the interiors for houses, penthouses, apartments and duplexes across Sydney and surrounds, greater New South Wales, Queensland, The Northern Territory and Vietnam. Her previous commercial clients include Sanitarium Australia, Chome Hair Salons, Hillsborough Physiotherapy, PersonalEYES surgeries Australia, Century 21 Australia, Coca Cola Amatil and Dalton Packaging. Catherine is also the designer of “The Ashton Chaise Lounge“, an ergonomic and sustainable sofa bed that won the Furniture of the year award at Furnitex 2000 and has been featured in numerous design editorials and publications.
” Interior design for me is about change. We are change agents and designers create positive and healthy changes in peoples lives. Physiological and environmental change is the most important part of interior design whether it be in a residential, commercial on institutional interior, When a design provides an environmentally healthy and physiologically uplifting transformation on people and communities that is great design. “
Catherine is also a design educator in the University sector and at TAFENSW, Design Centre Enmore. Along with qualifications in Design and Visual Arts, Adult training and education and Sustainable Work practices, Catherine is also a qualified HSC and tertiary Visual Arts and Interior Design educator.
Catherine’s early working life was as a Visual Arts and Interior Design HSC Co-ordinator, followed by more than eighteen years in the industry working as an interior design consultant and tertiary design educator and writer for interior design, interior decoration, interior styling and design fundamentals, at TAFENSW Enmore Design Centre. Catherine was also the Coordinator for the Bachelor of Design Management at TAFE NSW Lidcombe Campus for Federation University Australia.
Catherine has written interior design articles and editorials for Universal Magazines and more than 20 national and international Interior Design Curriculum Programs for TAFE colleges and Universities throughout Australia and the United Arab Emirates. These design units were written by Catherine to allow for different work environments and situations that may affect interior designers’ performance in a national and international setting.
As a practicing interior designer and company director, Catherine is an Industry Specialist for the Department of Education and Training’s, Quality and Regulation Directorate for the Bachelor of Applied Design (Commercial Interior) course, the Diploma of Fabric Design and Printing, Commercial courses in Residential Styling and the Advanced and Diploma of Interior Design and Decoration.
Catherine has a passion for art, colour, interior design and design education; creating design solutions that improve our personal interactions and operations within a space, be that a home, business or educational sector. Her vision has always been to share the inherent value of interior design and interior decoration as an essential component of every building, business and home, that improves the way we live, our health and our relationships with our world and each other.
“Good design is finding a solution to a problem. Great design changes the way you feel.”
Catherine Whitting, BVA, Dip ed, Dip IDD
WORKSHOPS
To compliment the exhibition, the girls will be offering a great selection of workshops. For more info and booking details go to WORKSHOPS
or follow this link SJW
mi’anderin – INTERIOR DESIGN EXHIBITION BY KATE ST JAMES & CATHERINE WHITTING – July 19 to Aug 5
ARTFUL ALCHEMY – Yaja Hadrys, Mellissa Read-Devine, Mark Powell, Ray Harrington, Jane Canfield, Nadege Lamy – Aug 9 to Sep 30
ZIG ZAG RAILWAY EXHIBITION & ART PRIZE – Sep 27 to Oct 21
ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION – Celebrating 2 years – Oct 25 to Nov 18