Cooktown artists Gisela Whithear and Tracey Blumer work on pieces for their upcoming duo exhibition, Imagine. Photo: Supplied.
Imagination is turning into reality as two first-time exhibiting artists prepare to showcase their work to the Cooktown community.
Imagine will open on 29 March at the Elizabeth Guzsely Gallery, giving patrons an insight into the quirky minds of artists Tracey Blumer and Gisela Whithear.
Ms Blumer said the title was inspired in part by their awe at having the opportunity to showcase their work in a duo exhibition.
“I could never have imagined putting on an exhibition, so I think it’s amazing that we live in a town where we can actually do something like that,” she said.
“My sister is the artist, and she lives in Sydney; she’d dream about getting access to a gallery that says, ‘here, come and put your stuff on the wall’, so I recognise how lucky we are.”
She said they were both completely homegrown artists, having been long-time attendees of the town’s various art workshops and classes.
“Gisela and I are both long-standing Cooktown residents who both started our artistic journeys here; I’ve never had an art lesson outside of Cooktown,” Ms Blumer said.
“I’m proud to say that every RADF (Regional Arts Development Fund) workshop, every workshop down at the gallery, every drawing class, I am one of the products of that; as an artist, I have been produced by Cooktown and the support that we get from various funding resources.”
A sneak peek of one of Tracey Blumer’s works to be showcased in Imagine. Photo: Supplied.
The title of the exhibition also reflects what the pair call an “intuitive style”, where they pick up the paintbrush without a plan, resulting in abstract interpretations created by 10-15 layers of paint.
“I like the more abstract, wild stuff,” Ms Whithear said.
“Rather than realistic representations of things, it’s sort of a little bit offbeat.
“We got together because we have a similar style, and we’ve been working together and painting every week.”
Cooktown School of Art Society president Jane Dennis said Imagine was part of a new directive to encourage artists to hold their own exhibitions and showcase their work individually.
“It just gives them a reason to develop their art and move on up, and it’s about giving people confidence,” she said.
“You don’t often get that opportunity with galleries, so we are still progressing with our open house policy of bringing different art to the public and encouraging artists to have a voice.
“When I was a young and emerging artist, a lot of galleries would not take you on, because they had their own agendas, so being in a smaller community, I think that level of acceptance is broader, which is exciting for me, because I’ve never felt that art is for the few, I feel like art is for everybody to get involved in any way they like.”
Imagine will be available to the public from 29 March to 7 April at the Elizabeth Guzsely Gallery.
Artist Gisela Whithear describes her work as abstract, wild and a little bit offbeat. Photo: Supplied.
