Two decades of work by an Archibald Prize winner will be on display when the latest exhibition opens at the UQ Art Museum this weekend.
Surface Tension: the art of Euan Macleod 1991–2009 is a Tweed River Art Gallery touring exhibition, curated by Gavin Wilson.
“The exhibition highlights how Euan Macleod has distilled elements from both the Australian bush and his homeland, New Zealand’s South Island, to produce landscapes deeply imbued with spirituality and symbolism,” UQ Art Museum Director Dr Campbell Gray said.
“The striking quality of Macleod’s work is evident through his deployment of symbolic imagery, which engages audiences in a range of issues including identity, alienation, displacement, security and mortality.”
Macleod’s expressive canvases set the human body in environments comprising earth, fire, ice and water, resulting in compelling compositions that address the human condition and illuminate anxieties while revealing interior and exterior worlds.
The artist has received critical and public acclaim, winning major awards including the Archibald Prize in 1999, the Sulman Prize in 2001 and the Blake Prize in 2006.
“This project would not be possible without the generosity of lenders – including more than 30 private and corporate lenders – the enthusiasm of the participating host venues and the support of Visions of Australia,” Director of Tweed River Art Gallery Susi Muddiman said.
The Tweed River Art Gallery was awarded more than $120,000 from the Commonwealth Government’s Visions of Australia program to develop and tour the exhibition.
The public are welcome to attend the exhibition opening on Friday, October 28 from 6.30pm, which is preceded by an in conversation event with the artist and Ms Muddiman at 5pm.
The free exhibition continues until December 11. The UQ Art Museum is open from 10am–4pm seven days a week, with parking free on weekends.
Media: Dr Campbell Gray (07 3365 3946, campbell.gray@uq.edu.au), Susi Muddiman (02 6670 2792, s.muddiman@tweed.nsw.gov.au) or Cameron Pegg at UQ Communications (07 3365 2049, c.pegg@uq.edu.au)
Acknowledgements:
This exhibition has been supported by Visions of Australia, an Australian Government program supporting touring exhibitions by providing funding assistance for the development and touring of Australian cultural material across Australia.
Tweed River Art Gallery is assisted by the NSW Government through Arts NSW.
Euan Macleod is represented by Watters Gallery, Sydney; Niagara Galleries, Melbourne; and Victor Mace Fine Art Gallery, Brisbane.
