Saturday, July 11, 2015

20 year Survey Exhibition, Kathryn Ryan : A Quiet Place, Paintings & Drawings 1995 - 2015


A long time in the planning..... my survey show is set to open next weekend... 

A Quiet Place: Paintings & Drawings 1995 - 2015  

Opening Night , Saturday July 18th 6pm-7.30pm
Exhibition : July 19 - November 22nd 2015

Warrnambool Art Gallery 26 Liebig St Warrnambool VIC
Catalogue Available ( illustrated) with Essay by Phe Luxford & myself.
 $24.95 AUD + P&H , Order at WAG E: gallery@warrnambool.vic.gov.au   PH +61 3 5559 49 49

Exhibition curated by Murray Bowes & Gareth Colliton  
A select few works will be available for purchase.


  From the South West to the Middle East & back again....
A Quiet Place is my survey show covering the journey of my art practice over the last 20 years, showcasing a selection of oil paintings and charcoal drawings, loaned from public and private collections. The exhibition will showcase works from my western district series, my studio years in  Melbourne, to the UK and years spent living in the UAE with a recent return to Australia, now dividing my time between Warrnambool & Dubai.
Kathryn Ryan , Farm Hedges in Winter, oil on linen 137 x183cm 2011 Private Collection
The journey began growing up on a farm in Panmure, studying Fine Art in Warrnambool & Melbourne, 25 plus years of studio practice with ongoing solo exhibitions at Flinders Lane Gallery Melbourne & Olsen Irwin Gallery Sydney. During this time I was finalist in numerous National Art Prizes, with sell out exhibitions, and  works in public & private collections including Parliament House Collection...In  more recent years I have been living in Dubai and am now dividing my time between Warrnambool & Dubai.  This survey show at WAG is well timed with my return to Warrnambool and relevant as the south west has provided the inspiration for the majority of my work.
Kathryn Ryan, Winter Light, oil on canvas 137 x183cm 2008 Private Collection
  My art practice has been heavily influenced by my years growing up in South West Victoria, and the surrounding landscape has provided much of the inspiration for my oil paintings and charcoal drawings.
The quality of light, mood, space, atmosphere , what moves me... has informed many of these works which explore the contrast of opposites of the fragile & strong, the vast & detail, what lasts, what endures, a longing for , memory based, a reflective and calm quiet place to retreat... 
Kathryn Ryan ,Morning Cypress, charcoal on paper, 51 x71 cm 1999 Collection of Artist

The exhibition will cover  my studio practice from 1995- 2015 working in oil paint and charcoal.The oil paintings are worked up in many layers of paint and glazing over several months to build depth, balance and harmony with a resulting almost photographic surface. Similarly the charcoals are built up in layers of mark making and rubbing away, slowly building, slowly revealing to arrive at a balance of both contrast and subtle harmony... revealing the strong and delicate nature of the images. 
Kathryn Ryan, South West Coast #9, charcoal on paper 51 x71 cm 2015 Collection of Artist

 From windswept cypress hedges punctuating the vast farming areas , to  the fall of light at the end of the day , the landscape emerging through fog, to more recent explorations of shadow & light from my time based in the UAE and my return back to the South West of Victoria to explore again this landscape with fresh eyes.

Further reading : 
The latest edition of Bluestone Magazine features a story on my current studio practice and upcoming survey exhibition, you can read it here : Bluestone Magazine 

Capsule Arts Dubai, who represent my work in the UAE have also featured a story on my art practice and upcoming survey show in their Blog :  Where Is my Shark by Capsule Arts
For Limited Edition Prints of my work Capsule Arts : Kathryn Ryan Prints

Kathryn Ryan, Al Shajarah /Tree, charcoal on paper 51 x71 cm 2013 Collection of Artist

Kathryn Ryan , Road to Whitlands, oil on canvas, 137 x183cm 2002 Private Collection
Kathryn Ryan , View from Kingshouse, oil on linen 137 x183cm 2010 Private Collection