The Far Pavilions. The Jewel Sea by Jane O'Hara
On my return from living and exhibiting overseas, I'll never forget the rush of seeing The Kimberley for the first time. Its wild, even harsh and ancient beauty was astonishing and it formed the basis of my previous show, “Hover” at M2 Gallery -book-ended by Covid lockdowns!
My new show, titled The Far Pavilions. The Jewel Sea was originally inspired by The East McDonnel Ranges, an equally unique and extraordinary place.
As with The Kimberley trek, this one was also devised and run by Kerri Ainsworth of Art Travel Adventures fame.
A group of artists headed out each day in 4 Wheel Drives (which I love driving) to various ancient sculptural gorges to sketch and paint. We sometimes set ourselves up in huge, dry, sandy river beds and heard nothing but insects, the slightest shift of air-and a boiling billy of tea- in the heat. I was fascinated by the Rivergums whose gnarled trunks and branches bore the signs of the ravages of huge floods, difficult to imagine then.
After some time working up these experiences back in the studio, I was drawn back to painting our “Jewel Sea”, its islands and wondrous reefs. Experiencing the Mediterranean for the first time added yet another layer of inspiration, and, just as the McDonnel Ranges had done, reignited my fascination with ancient history, architecture and archaeology.
The title of my show speaks to the notion of 'pavilions' being places that offer shelter but suggest impermanence and can be open or closed to the winds and dust-storms, much like Bedouin tents and First Nation's mia-mias/Gunyahs. They speak of migrations and history on the march over aeons. Many ancient structures are now 'pavilions' as are, to my mind, shifting sand dunes in the outback. The “jewel sea ” is a reference to our Australian national anthem and our vast 'island' "girt by sea".
Please enjoy, The Far Pavilions. The Jewel Sea. To be officially opened by Mark Pearson, OAM.
