Scribble & Offcuts

Exhibition dates: 2 to 3 December, 9 to 10 December 2023 11am - 4pm

Artwork:

Artists: Parris Dewhurst & Adam France

Artist/s statement

This exhibition explores the overlap and methodologies between artists Parris Dewhurst and Adam France, who are both examining the subconscious way we make art.
In ‘Scribble’ Adam explores how the mind connects to the hand, then a carefree hand can release a stream of earnest, playful and unrestricted illustrations. When this connection is made the result is therapeutic and energetic. Scribble is what we make on notepads and in the margins, but by centering it Adam is cherishing the carefree and richness of these worlds we draw. In ‘Offcuts’ Parris reflects on paper discards, and pays homage to the rough shapes left
behind in one’s process. These offcuts are carefully crafted into relief collages on archival paper, and embody the unsung chaos behind process. While materialistically these processes are different, by sharing a space they highlight each other’s principles and perspective, finding a common language and mindset of making.

Parris Dewhurst
Parris’s practice echoes her experience of finding solace in the natural world and enjoying the tactile quality of working with clay. Her interest in bushwalking and its cathartic rhythm of slowing down is reflected in her hand painted, paper cutouts of leaf litter compositions. An array of ambiguous messages from the bush. Through observing and listening, we can reflect and learn from the natural world. A reminder to tune in. Parris’s ceramic practice is at an early stage which opens doors to playful experimentation, risk taking, and an exploration of combining clay bodies, textural surfaces, forms and glazes.

Adam France
This exhibition is about the results of unscripted play; what happens when we give up and allow our making to flow without intention or overthinking. While delicate and loose, the individual need for this can come from a tense and overstimulated world. Through creating works of this nature, the artist is relaxing - performing a sort of yoga for creative muscles and mind. Scribble has become a central theme for open-ended making. Non-judgemental and free form, scribble requires the purest state of being to produce, letting the hand (not mind) lead the way and reveal stories, new friends and alternate realities. In this exhibition, this scribble expands across several large boards, letting the hand roam far and wide - a physical and mental exercise Adam has undergone to see what would be revealed and the peace found along the way. Additional collage pieces explore the prompt of Offcuts. Here a repetitive approach examines how a semi-robotic making process can sometimes feel the most human of all.

Instagram
Parris Dewhurst @misspdew
Adam France @france_pants

For more information contact: Parris Dewhurst dewhurstparris@gmail.com or Adam France adam@adamfrance.com.au

Opening night: Wednesday 29th November 6pm to 8pm

2 to 3, 9 to 10 December 11-4pm

Accessibility information: The gallery has an accessible bathroom. There is a set of stairs inside the building and a lift for wheelchair access.