This all-female group show stems from the artists’ desire to emphasise the presence of female makers within the Dunedin art scene. In a gallery whose exhibitions have inadvertently, but predominantly, entertained male artists, this group collectively respond to (or collectively respond through) their femininity.
From Sinclair’s reliably picturesque landscape painting to mi$$match’s pink explosion of hip-hop inspired attitude, or from Carran’s portentous, pendulum-like stack of prisms hanging from the ceiling to McIsaac’s small but striking descriptively entitled sculpture: Lipstick ascending on caterpillar tracks on a hill in a blizzard in a jar, there are multiple departure points for contemplation beneath an overriding statement about female presence in the art world – precisely what that statement is, however, is ambiguous. The works are said to be in dialogue with one another and while some visual analogies are apparent, the objects’ exchanges are otherwise vague.
Separately, the arrangements are complete and thoughtful – they can easily be imbued with unique and even profound significance; collectively though, their lucidity wavers. This is not a condemnation of the collection but a reflection on the strength each work harbours in isolation. Girlz is thus an enjoyable exhibition by virtue of its variety, attitude and female solidarity rather than by way of coherency.
a gallery presents 