Art fans of the Northern Midlands have a “rare” opportunity over the next ten days: a chance to view the “intricate” work of well-known artist Wayne Brookes a little closer to home.
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The exhibition, part of the 30th anniversary celebrations of Hobart’s Despard Gallery, is on show at Woolmers Estate until December 14.
Brookes’ exhibit features work based on the interior of Woolmers Estate itself – along with other historic homesteads of the region.
“Wayne continues his painterly obsession with beautiful objects, exhibiting work based on the interior of Woolmers, as well as other heritage homestead, including Clarendon and Entally House,” the Despard Gallery website reads.
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For the initial week – following the opening on December 1 – fans will even catch Brookes in action with live demonstrations.
“He’s had more influence on students coming through the arts in Tasmania than anybody in the last 20 years,” said Despard Gallery director Stephen Joyce, who has worked with Brookes extensively since opening the gallery.
“He’s such a passionate teacher and his mind is so extraordinary, you don’t forget that.”
Born in Colac, Victoria, Brookes moved to Tasmania before his first birthday and is now based in Hobart, though his work reaches far beyond it.
Brookes’ work is held within the collections of Launcston’s Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, the University of Tasmania Fine Arts Gallery and Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery in Hobart, along with numerous private collections across Australia and the United States.
The detailed paintings in that body of work layer and juxtapose a wide range of references points – from the Baroque to the domestic.
Brookes refers to himself as a “quilter”, according to the Despard website, stitching together stories about fascination, intrigue and absurdity “with a surgical precision”.
“His signature; fabrics rendered in paint have the distinct appearance of luxurious silks, velvets and tapestries with every fold and drape laboriously represented,” it continues.
After completing a Bachelor of Visual Art in 1979, Brookes began to pursue a parallel career in teaching, being granted a Masters and then PhD in Fine Art through the University of Tasmania.
Shifting widely across the years, Brookes’ work most recently turned to landscape painting- his first effort shortlisted in this year’s Glover prize.
- Wayne Brookes at Woolmers Estate is open 11am-4pm daily until Friday, December 14
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