New Delhi   

Portraying vitality of Australian art

Madhur Tankha

NEW DELHI: An exhibition of ceramics and textiles titled "Drawn from the Edge" was inaugurated by the Australian High Commissioner to India, John McCarthy, at Anant Gallery in Defence Colony here on Friday. The exhibition, featuring works of Australian artists Pippin Drysdale and Maggie Baxter, will be on till March 2.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr McCarthy observed: "Drawn from the Edge is Maggie Baxter's second exhibition in India. Pippin Drysdale, who is exhibiting her work for the first time in India, is an internationally recognised ceramicist whose works have been regularly exhibited in the US, Europe, Japan and throughout Australia. Her work should strike a chord with Indian audiences."

Stating that the exhibition truly reflects the spirit of Australia-India collaboration, the High Commissioner added: "While Pippin pays homage to the Aboriginal Australia's relationship with land, Maggie's work is influenced by textile crafts of Kutch. The exhibition by the two Australian artists will complement `AusArts - India: films, arts, literature', a two-year Australian cultural promotion launched recently to portray the vitality and innovation of current Australian art practices."

With their iridescent colour and delicate line drawing, there is a strong influence of the desert in the artists' works. Pippin Drysdale's ceramic series "Tanami Traces" draws inspiration from earthy ochre contrasting with splurges of orange, red, pink, turquoise and black; rocky outcrops, ravines and chasms. Her work comprises finely incised and brushed lines on the surfaces of vessels that part way between representation and abstraction. The tall, graceful, porcelain conical containers display deep voids of intense colour balanced with intricate tracery of lines on the outer surfaces. Maggie Baxter uses ancient craft processes as a means of contemporary expression.

Her work is inspired by the cutting and tailoring techniques that go into the traditional Indian churidar and many of the works in this exhibition are studies into the way that fabric changes by diagonal folding and stitching.

In some instances, diagonals have been created by appliqué, print and resist, but in others, whole fabrics have been constructed and then folded to form innovative self-lining shawls, wraps and hangings.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Gram Panchayat warns Sheila over demolitions
Inventions that are beyond tomorrow
U.P., Delhi drawing political mileage: court
Portraying vitality of Australian art
Chhattisgarh Act will curtail fundamental rights: Study
Fog returns to disrupt flights
Sheila Govt. making a mockery of Budget: BJP
Sheila faces public wrath
`Cong. responsible for present mess'
Supreme Court rejects Daya Nayak's plea
Fog triggers power crisis
Biggest carpet expo begins today
Telecom majors to participate in Globalcomm
Held for car theft
`Tiger conservation authority planned'
Pay Commission reference a big relief: Maken
Bastar scholars write to Manmohan Singh
Court orders Swami's release
Briefly
In The Capital Today
Law & Order

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu