Australian Galleries is currently hosting a solo exhibition by John Wolseley, titled "The Life of Inland Waters".The exhibition showcases the series of prints entitled "101 insect life stories.""When Wirrpanda adopted John as her wawa, or brother, she gave him the name llangurrk, which is a kind of beetle grub or larvae which burrows into mud and the yams which grow there. He feels that in some uncanny way this has led him to an obsession with making etchings, relief prints and frottages of the engravings made by beetle larvae as they tunnel under the bark of trees. Their tracks create extraordinary patterns which resemble aerial maps of road or river systems and form a tracery which is also a visual history of their life cycles. Wolseley has also made prints from the tunnelling and architecture of shipworms, ghost moths, termites and mason wasps," (Australian Galleries). "The Life of Inland Waters" showcases a diverse collection of works across a range of media from this inspired, intelligent and deeply important artist, culminating in what can only be described as an evocative and exhilarating visual experience.John Wolseley writes, "I have immersed myself in the life world of the creeks, rivers and billabongs of this incredibly rich and fecund region. In these paintings, I am trying to show how a tropical river ecosystem can be painted as a kind of microcosm of our earth. They both map the same dynamic systems of earth, air and water and enfold the lives of plants, insects and fish." The artist has spent considerable time over the last five years in the company of the great Yolngu artist Mulkun Wirrpanda as they both painted the floodplains and flora of the Blue Mud Bay region of North East Arnhem Land. In 2017, the results of this collaboration were exhibited at the National Museum of Australia as Midawarr Harvest: The Art of Mulkun Wirrpanda and John Wolseley. This exhibition will also include several significant works by Mulkun Wirrpanda. Born in Somerset, England, the artist studied at St Martins School of Art between 1957 and 1958, the Byam Shaw School of Art, London, in printmaking from 1958 to 1963 and later in Paris between 1961 and 1963. Wolseley has held solo exhibitions in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra and survey exhibitions of his work have been held at the Art Gallery of Western Australia, the University of Melbourne and the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Tasmania.The exhibition will be on view through May 20, 2018, at Australian Galleries, 35 Derby Street [PO Box 1183], Collingwood 3066, Melbourne, Australia. For details visit: www.australiangalleries.com.auClick on the slideshow for a sneak peek at the exhibition. www.blouinartinfo.com Founder: Louise Blouin
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