craft / “Holly Grace: A grain of gold”, Beaver Galleries until March 17. Reviewed by MEREDITH HINCHLIFFE.
HOLLY Grace’s work is steeped in the history of the rural alpine and sub-alpine areas of NSW. She is fascinated by the small mountain huts used by shepherds in the early days of European settlement, and later as shelters for walkers and campers. The huts are weathered and quite basic, and wear the impact of the harsh weather they are exposed to.
Grace has placed the huts in the bush environment of the mountains. A large teapot, “A Miner’s Haven”, captures the outline of the hut against trees, shrubs and pastures. Lit from within, the hut is projected onto the wall behind, complete with bats or birds flying high in the sky. Grace has decorated only the front of the teapot, the sky and the back are decorated with perfect script – possibly taken from early European letters back to cities, or England. A billycan, “Lovenest in the Sallees”, is also lit from behind, with similar surface decoration.
However, I prefer the simpler forms, such as “Alpine Ash”, which consists of three tall cylinders. The glass powder and metal leaf surfaces with sandblasted imagery capture the eerie nature of the bush in the vanishing light. Spikey branches of thickly growing shrubs seem impenetrable. “The Summit”, a large spherical form is similar.
“First Light”, a large bowl, features clouds in the sky, which are enhanced by splashes of metal leaf highlighting the texture of the bush.
“The Tempest”, is one of two wall panels. Clouds roll across the turbulent sky, highlighting the branches and the landscape.
Grace captures the mystery of the bush in the mountains at different times of the day and in different weathers. She is a an experienced artist working in glass, using a variety of techniques to depict this rugged landscape.
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