A new solo exhibition, ‘Borrowed Landscapes’ by Marian Drew will open at the Tweed Regional Gallery in Murwillumbah, on Friday 23 August.
Marsupial and protea 2004, inkjet print, ed. 10, 70 x 90 cm; © Marian Drew. Image courtesy the artist.
With a practice that spans more than 35 years, Marian Drew is one of Australia’s most influential and significant photo-media artists. Using the concept of the landscape as a connective thread across Drew’s extensive practice, this exhibition traces Drew’s career from 1983 to 2018. ‘Borrowed landscape’, or ‘borrowed scenery’, are terms derived from architecture, where a structure is designed to strategically frame elements of the surrounding landscape. Similarly, the landscape makes appearances throughout Drew’s work like vignettes. In perhaps her most well-known series of work influenced by 17th Century Dutch still life painting, Drew photographs native Australian road kill lying on starched white tablecloths alongside a cornucopia of fruit, vegetables and utensils. Drew photographs in the dark, then paints the scene with a torch. The landscape appears in this series almost as a two-dimensional backdrop in theatrical scenery. The work serves as a reminder of the fragility of life and the impact that people have had on our natural environment.
Marian Drew was guest judge of this year’s Olive Cotton Award at Tweed Regional Gallery, where Belinda Mason was named the winner for her work titled Taken. Drew’s solo exhibition will be on display alongside this year’s Award. Join the artist Marian Drew at the Gallery for insights into her exhibition and artistic practice on Sunday 25 August from 2-3 pm.
