Landscapes, seascapes and climate are explored in Land and Sea, an art exhibition that opens at Beaudesert next month.
Combining two thought-provoking and compelling exhibitions, Landskins by Dr Paula Payne and Water Worlds by Nadine Schmoll, Land and Sea features contemporary landscape paintings on a grand scale and an otherworldly experience of underwater light and colour.
The exhibition will be officially launched by Scenic Rim Arts Reference Group Chair and Deputy Mayor Michael Enright on Saturday April 2 and runs until June 4 at The Centre Beaudesert.
Dr Paula Payne trained as a painter at the Queensland College of Art in the 1990s and traces the fine line graphic renderings, which are a fundamental element of her work, to her early exposure to technical drawing in her father’s engineering workshop.
Dr Payne says her work combines historical ways of capturing the landscape and a form of contemporary mapping that reflects the anxious world we now inhabit.
“The line renderings extend to cartography, including lines of latitude and longitude, and refer to ways that humans have named and claimed the globe through physical explorations and world travel.
“Technology and global discussions are strong influences on my work, with a focus on the landscape and environmental genre as the biggest concern of this time.
“The cause and effects of climate change and the sustainability of the planet feature in the works, albeit often in an abstract or mysterious way.”
Nadine Schmoll’s works draw on the eight months she spent living and working on Lady Elliot Island, on the Great Barrier Reef, and an awareness of the lasting impact on the environment of single-use plastics.
“The Great Barrier Reef is a barometer for the well-being of our planet – one of the first major ecosystems to suffer the effects of climate change.
“Despite all these challenges, nature continually demonstrates its resilience and capacity to overcome if given the opportunity, if we pay attention with care and respect.
“The installation, Coral Fluorescence, explores a remarkable adaptation to climate change, as translucent coral polyps shine with fluorescence at night, a phenomenon some corals exhibit as a natural sunscreen to protect themselves from rising sea temperatures.
“Imagine the possibilities if we collaborate in mutual partnership with nature to ensure a brighter future for us all.”
The free Land & Sea exhibition will be open during gallery hours from 10am to 4pm Tuesday to Friday and 10am to 2pm on Saturday, except public holidays.
To register for the free official opening event online, visit liveatthecentre.com.au/ or telephone 5540 5050 during gallery hours.
