Cooktown artists will showcase their wild side at the 2026 RAW Exhibition under this year’s theme, Primitive. Photo: Supplied.
Before all of the rules and boundaries and pressure to impress, who are we?
That is what Cooktown’s first art exhibition of the year will explore when Cooktown School of Art Society’s (CSAS) RAW – Primitive exhibition opens to the public on 10 April.
Based on the idea of doing and owning what comes naturally, local artists and community members will come together for a celebration of self-expression and raw honesty at the Elizabeth Guzsely Gallery.
CSAS president Jane Dennis said RAW – Primitive played on the natural human instinct for art and creation without the bounds of training, rules and judgement.
“It’s to encourage people who haven’t actually had formal training, but have an aesthetic eye and love to create,” she said.
“It’s before you become tainted with formality, and it also means that artists who get stuck in their little niche have an opportunity to do something a bit crazy, and have fun and explore the inner animal.
“I’m just hoping to get people involved who normally wouldn’t get involved with art, although they kind of have a secret passion for making something.”
This year’s RAW exhibition opening will forgo official judges in spirit of the theme, instead offering only a people’s choice award in the youth (8-17 years) and adult (18+) categories.
Ms Dennis said she hoped this would remove the distractions of judgement and competition for prize money in what was an incredibly subjective discipline.
“I think it all goes back to treading that line between creativity and commercial; people get stuck in ruts because they can make money out of one thing, but as an artist, you’re not actually developing, and you’re not taking any risks anymore,” she said.
“That childlike ability to let go of things and not be scared, not to rationalise what you do, and just do, gets lost.
“People have an opportunity to exhibit crazy stuff without judgement; I just want to innately instil people with confidence and to just do it, instead of saying, ‘I’m not good enough’, because there’s no book on what’s good art.”
RAW – Primitive will be unveiled on 10 April at 5:30 pm at the Elizabeth Guzsely Gallery, with people’s choice award voting open until the exhibition closes on 25 April.
