1 September 2004

Two new exhibitions will officially open at the Shepparton Art Gallery in the coming week.

An amazing new photography exhibition by Arthur Wicks, ‘Global Images: Notes from the Solstice Voyeur 1975 – 2002’, and a striking textiles exhibition by
Sara Thorn, ‘Dreams of a Golden Thread’, which will be officially opened on Saturday 11th September by Sarah Bond, Exhibition Manager, Craft Victoria. Both exhibitions will be open to the public from Saturday 4th September.

Shepparton Art Gallery Director, Ms Leanne Willis, said the two exhibitions were very different, but both exquisite.

“The first exhibition features a series of photographs, taken by Arthur Wicks, a sculptor and photographer, who has photographed world events in a bid to create global images for the last 20 years,” Ms Willis said.

Arthur Wicks’ role as the ‘Solstice Voyeur’ extends over more than two decades.  His photographs of Guerilla Bay on the South Coast of NSW became the first global collage.  A sequence of images of New York City, taken later from the World Trade Centre, also create an interesting combination. 

“‘Global Images: Notes from the Solstice Voyeur’ shows us the earth from a completely different viewpoint, and is not an exhibition to miss.”

In a contrast, Sara Thorn’s textile exhibition features very beautiful fabrics, a result of the artist’s research into the textile traditions of Asia and Italy.

“Sara Thorn is interested in ceremonial and historical cloths from many different traditional cultures, and this has led her to study varied textile and ornamentation techniques,” Ms Willis said.

Sara Thorn is an artist and designer of textiles and fashion.  Over the last 20 years, Sara created the fashion labels Abyss Studio, Funkessentials and Galaxy. 

In the late 1990s, she moved to Europe where she worked with various international designers.  On her return to Australia in 2000, Sara re-established her own label, Sara Thorn.

The Shepparton Art Gallery will be showing Sara Thorn’s “Dreams of a Golden Thread” and Arthur Wicks’ “Global Images: Notes from the Solstice Voyeur” until Sunday 10th October.

For more information, please contact the Shepparton Art Gallery Director, Leanne Willis, on 5832 9861 or 0419 385 126.

Admission to the Shepparton Art Gallery is free and it is open 7 days a week from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm.  The gallery is located in the Eastbank Centre, 70 Welsford Street, Shepparton.