'Samsara 17' .

Lara Nicholls, Exhibition Curator

"This visually exhilarating exhibition reveals the astounding contribution Australian women artists have made to abstract art. The exhibition shows a breathtaking passion for colour, shape and rhythm and a dedication to experimentation and conceptual innovation. The works in this exhibition use a remarkable range of media moving through painting, sculpture and applied arts and take audiences on a journey from the early 20th century through to the present day.

Margaret Worth’s Samsara series contain intriguing binary elements. She explains that one is the articulation of the ‘beauty of scientific reality’. In the case of this wavy shaped painting, it is that of the Sine Curve describing smooth repetitive oscillations which occur throughout nature. The other meaning resides in the Sanskrit word ‘Samsara’, which for Buddhists refers to the uninterrupted cycle of death and rebirth towards enlightenment. When Worth painted this work in Adelaide she was absorbed in a sense of wonderment at the universe through her own scientific and aesthetic studies. The unusual palette is drawn from the South Australian landscape. Such diverse confluences demanded an abstract solution, which Worth poignantly describes as the ‘universal language’ of all things."

TOUR DATES

• Geelong Art Gallery Geelong Vic 25 February –7 May 2017
• Newcastle Art Gallery Newcastle NSW 21 May – 23 July 2017
• Cairns Art Gallery QLD 15 September – 24 November 2017
• Tweed Regional Gallery Friday 2 March – Sunday 20 May 2018
• QUT Art Gallery Brisbane QLD Friday 1 June – Sun 26 Aug 2018