Amongst The Trees And Art In Cooran
Nestled between three mountains is the creative community of Cooran and for the tenth year, the main street is about to come alive with brilliant artworks. Jolene Ogle finds out what to expect at the Tall Trees Art Exhibition.
Buoyed by a supportive sense of generosity and creativity, Cooran is the hinterland’s best-kept secret. If you haven’t discovered this cool and funky gem, then there is no better time to head to the hinterland than this July when the charming town will become a giant, interactive art gallery.
From a grassroots need for sharing their creative journey with others, an art group was formed. Tall Trees Art Inc. has been going strong for more than a decade with committed volunteers and artists helping bring the quiet main street alive with creative inspiration once a year.
The 2019 Tall Trees Art Exhibition is happening from 5-7 July with art-lovers and the curious able to meander along the main street taking inspiration from more than 90 local artists in almost 20 locations.
The exhibition started as a small festival in the local hall and now a huge range of paintings, drawings and other creative artworks in both 2D and 3D will be showcased.
Exhibition curators have taken full advantage of the quirky and charming buildings that line the main street, using them as an interesting backdrop for the many and varied works. Throughout the weekend you will be able to discover works down alleyways, hung against colourful walls and in gardens, shops, houses and community spaces.
Organiser Mia Hacker said the exhibition was all about local businesses supporting artists and artists supporting local business.
“We are local people loving our creative flair for expression and reason for sharing and coming together,” she said. “Our exhibition is fully curated and a lot of thought and planning goes into the final presentation of works that provide an adventure for people to explore as they immerse themselves in all that makes Tall Trees Art Exhibition awesome!”
Opening Night for Tall Trees Art Exhibition will be held on Friday 5 July at the delightful Hinterland Restaurant Cooran (a Slow Food Snail of Approval recipient for its commitment to local produce) from 6pm and will launch into a weekend of unique local art on show throughout this beautiful hinterland town.
If you haven’t visited Cooran before or if it’s been a while, this is the perfect chance to explore an amazing town only moments from Noosa.
Featured Artists:
These are just some of the amazing local artists to be discovered as part of Tall Trees!
JIM MARTIN
Jim Martin’s rapidly evolving style speaks of the flow of place and the desire to see beyond what initially
meets the eye. An education in ecology has set the tone for works that capture the interconnectedness of the natural world. Being largely self-taught, and accustomed to the pitfalls of experimentation, his images reflect the exciting process of discovery that an artists’ formative years are. Jim was a finalist in the 2017 Queensland Young Artist Awards and has had work hung in group exhibitions in New South Wales and Tasmania. Kunyani is the start of an exploration of landscapes that call us to listen and learn. A combination of bold acrylic strokes and intricate layering has been used to convey the fluidity and cyclical nature of experiences of this landscape.
LEW BRENNAN
Lew’s art is a reflection of the landscape and the people that surround his every day – it captures surviving, breathing and observing the rural life. An active and prolific artist, his art reflects the landscape and the people and is held in collections throughout Australia and internationally. Painting and drawing from the day he could hold a pencil and selling art by the time he was a teenager, Lew works in oils and charcoal with a passionate commitment to themes and scenes, and the people and animals that make up the art and soul of country life.
JANDAMARRA CADD
Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Warung descendent, Jandamarra is an inspirational man with many stories to tell. With his vibrant and expressive portraitures, Jandamarra’s work is emotive, insightful and a powerful medium to bridge the storytelling divide between Aboriginal and mainstream Australia.
For Jandamarra, paintings that focus on the human condition have been a way to seek a peaceful voice for unity. He uses a variety of styles and mediums blended with a traditional Aboriginal art technique and his own signature contemporary portraiture to create his unique works. Jandamarra has not only been a finalist in every major Portrait Art Prize in Australia but is also in very high demand as an inspirational speaker and ambassador. His latest painting of Olympic gold medallist and former politician Nova Peris (pictured) was recently entered into the Archibald Prize.
MICHELLE KURTH
Michelle has been busy for the past year working on her work A Dialogue With Colour 2:365, a follow-on from her first exhibition A Dialogue With Colour in 2017. Every day for a year, Michelle has woven a 5cm square. The culmination of the pieces will form her exhibition and become a comment on the connection between wellbeing and art. For Michelle, the practice was never about creating a masterpiece but started as a commitment to herself to express her thoughts and emotions through weaving.
DAMIEN KAMHOLTZ
Damien Kamholtz is a multidisciplinary artist who has developed a unique process of layering drawing and painting techniques that explore stories within stories, differing perspectives and hidden narratives. A single painting by Damien may contain up to 20 layers of imagery.
Damien is interested in a metaphoric and poetic visual language that speaks to the emotions rather than the intellect. Deciphering his paintings is an experience of tragic beauty.
For the past five years, Damien has been working with senior indigenous artists in Kakadu and remote western Arnhem Land in Northern Territory and for the first time at Tall Trees Art Exhibition he will share how this experience is influencing his practice now.
Event Details:
Bendigo Bank Meet the Artists Opening Night
Friday 5 July, 6pm
Everyone is welcome!
The event starts at the Hinterland Restaurant before moving onto a sneak
peek of artworks at the Cooran Hall
www.talltreesart.com
