This exhibition brings together the work of Amber Wallis and Kylie Banyard, highlighting their visions of painterly utopia. Their work pays homage to American Abstract Expressionism of the 1940s and 50s, which strove towards an alternative image for art and painting. Spontaneity stood at the centre of this, and a puristās distillation of materials. The counter-culture of the 1960s and 70s, which held similar desires to collapse walls, is also present in both artistsā work.
Despite intentions towards a new agenda that went with these aspirational movements, and increased freedoms for women post WWII, power remained largely patriarchal, and women were and continue to be marginalised by this status quo. Feminist underpinnings in the artistsā work comment on this inequality.
The Heroine Paint positions Wallis and Banyard as though time has stood still, and at the crescendo of their declared āinfluences and referencesā, however it is experienced with the hindsight of today.
A Lismore Regional Gallery exhibition
Amber Wallis and Kylie Banyard also have an exhibition of the same name currently at Nicholas Thompson Gallery in Melbourne until 17July: https://www.nicholasthompsongallery.com.au/exhibitions/current-exhibition/
Read an article from Artist Profile on the artists https://artistprofile.com.au/amber-wallis-kylie-banyard/
