Intimate Moments of Discovery

Last night I attended the gallery opening themed ‘Relationships’ at the Yarra Sculpture Gallery in Abbotsford in support of the recent work completed by good friend, Lesley Ens. While battling through peak hour traffic along Alexandra Avenue in heavy down pour, I eventually made it to the gallery which had work from nine artists all of which included their interpretation of relationships.

Alongside Melbourne’s art-going scene, I appreciated fine porcelain tea cups, bowls, ceramic installations, retro inspired collages and coral inspired fountains. Naturally, art being art, not everything on display was my cup of tea, but slowly an increasing number of red dots found themselves strategically placed alongside some of the pieces throughout the gallery.

The work of the talented Lesley Ens included the gentile movement of the North American Bison, Polar Bear and wingless Waterbird. All of which have been in grave danger of extinction due to the efforts of mankind. Lesley’s work encourages people to think about the cause and effect of relationships and how every action we take has a reaction (whether adverse or not).

The slow movement of the Bison and the Polar Bear show their grace and purity. With the clean lines and modernist styling, these slipcast porcelain sculptures are really a stylish addition for any art enthusiast. Not surprisingly, these graceful white sculptures sold pretty quickly.

Additionally, Lesley created 25 stoneware tea bowls, inspired from her time in Japan and the concept that tea brings people together both strengthening relationships and creating memorable moments.

Other creative pieces from other artists included collages using imagery and text from the 1930s and 1940s, paper-thin handmade bone china tiles decorated with botany inspired imagery. With pieces starting from $25 and going as high $2400, most pieces are within financial reach with an average price of $90. I encourage anyone who has an interested in unique sculpture to visit the gallery and take time to appreciate the labour of love completed by the nine artists and, if the bank book allows, invest in a quality piece to call your own.

The artwork will be on display until 15 July 2007 and is available for purchase through the Yarra Sculpture Gallery curators. The gallery is located at 117 Vere St in Abbotsford and is open Wednesday to Sunday from 12pm to 5.30pm. Go online for further information about the gallery and the pieces available.