Australian artist and beautiful.bizarre Issue 008 featured artist Melissa Hartley’s first solo exhibition at 19 Karen Contemporary on the Gold Coast QLD, ‘The Tarnished Age’ opens on the 14th of March. Melissa describes her beautifully detailed new body of work, “The Tarnished Age’ is an ode to the long tradition of dutch still life painting. Emerging out of the midnight–black void, the subjects allude to the transitory nature of existence; to life and death; time suspended. I desire to make these images more permanent, to freeze time. For that reason the animals depicted in this series are all critically endangered species, illustrating the fragility of time and highlights the turbulent relationship man has with nature. It’s a warning about mortality and our self-proscribed righteousness. Each piece is significant to me in its own way, but the last piece I painted in this series, and my largest to date, gave me such joy, as well as being a challenge. “Golden Moment” features, in my opinion the most majestic creature, the tiger. I’m in awe of these animals so for me this one was so much fun to paint and gave me such personal satisfaction. I would hate to think of a world where these big cats did not exist.”
Melissa Hartley will be in attendance at the opening reception on the 14th of March, along with guest speaker Richard Blundell, Fellow of the Design Institute of Australia and former teacher at Queensland College of Art (Griffith University) – half of the works have already sold – So don’t miss it!
Melissa Hartley
The Tarnished Age
14 March – 25 April 2015
19 Karen Avenue
Mermaid Beach, Gold Coast QLD 4218
