SEPTEMBER 21 - OCTOBER 8 2023
A enduring sense of connection to the land and nature infuses the work of Kirsty Gautheron. Formative years in remote rural NSW allowed for the ultimate freedom to roam and experience vast landscapes and big skies.
Now living close to the coast, Kirsty finds similar aspects on and around the ocean. The swell, push and immensity of the ocean are reminiscent of the gentle or dramatic undulations and sense of space of the countryside.
The desire for these connections to the natural landscape is a constant for Kirsty. She notes, “These are the places that make my heart sing, that rejuvenate and refresh the spirit.”
“How you experience space, especially as a child, does also shape the way you read the world…What develops in you is the notion that becomes your way of thinking.” (David Malouf, March 2023)
Kirsty references time spent in these landscapes, sketches made and notes and photos taken. She works in layers of acrylic paint and mediums using brushes, palette knives and made utensils to build subtlety and interest to her textured surfaces. Her brushy grasses and layered dynamic oceans are full of movement. She draws on a lifetime of memories in these landscapes, creating a sense of presence and allowing viewers space in which to freely roam.
