Guna Green + Jennifer Green + Klyti Green
Three Colours Green
25 September - 6 October 2024
G3
Opening Night
Friday 27 September | 6 - 8pm
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Guna Green Statement
This series of drawings began in a car park as Guna gazed through the tinted window of her car through her polarised sunglasses causing an iridescent vision of rainbow-coloured cars. This inspired the first drawing which provoked mixed feelings of admiration and abhorrence.
Later, when photographing night-time freeway scenes from a car window, the dark, ghostly shapes of speeding vehicles produced pleasing images. On questioning her motivation, she found she was pursuing the feeling of instability, transience and the quality of disintegration in her drawings.
Her ambivalence towards the internal combustion engine was put up for scrutiny. The repetition of subject matter intensified the question “Where are we rushing to? What are we pursuing?”
Guna Green Bio
After completing her studies in Fine Art at the Gordon Institute of Technology in the 1970s, Guna spent two years in India drawing scenes of street life in cities and remote villages.
During the 80’s and 90’s, family life and family business took precedence and her art continued behind the scenes with occasional participation in various local group shows including Northcote, Carlton and Geelong. Teaching after-hours children’s art classes boosted her desire to share her interest and she accepted an offer to teach adult night-time classes as well.
At the turn of the century, Guna was invited to run the art room at a Melbourne Drug and Alcohol Centre where she mentored clients in self-expression using the visual arts. This led to studies in Art Therapy and counselling which enriched the experience of self-expression.
In 2016 Guna accepted a Lifestyle position in an aged care setting and engaged the residents in art activities to enhance their sensory experiences.
These days Guna spends more time with her own art practice, interrogating her feelings and motivations through her drawings, and being inspired by her grandchildren.
Guna’s firm belief is that art is for anyone and everyone to participate in and contribute to.
Jennifer Green Statement
Inspired by the audio podcast series “Stuff the British Stole’ Jennifer’s work delves into the narratives and themes presented in these audio stories. Translating them into surreal colourful scenes that capture the essence of the spoken word into visual form.
Through her work, she invites viewers to reflect on the complex narratives of the past, acknowledging the lasting effects of colonialism and imperialism. While also celebrating the resilience and strength of the human and non-human spirit.
As ‘Portraits of the Past, Symbols of History ‘, delves into the past, it also looks toward the future, inviting viewers to recognise and learn from historical patterns. The themes of injustice, resilience, and cultural preservation are universally relevant. Her artwork seeks to promote understanding, empathy and dialogue. Through this exploration, she hopes to contribute to a collective effort to break cycles of injustice and build a more equitable future.
Artworks
‘The Gweagal Shield’, now held in the British Museum, aims to illustrate the initial interactions between Aboriginal people and Captain James Cook and his crew in Botany Bay in 1770. Beyond the shield, and the spears that were taken, the artwork speaks to the broader dispossession of land, culture, resources and environment that this day represents.
In the artwork titled “The Last Prince of Punjab”, The artist explores the surreal and poignant tale of Maharaja Duleep Singh, the last Maharaja of Punjab, who was just 10 years old when he was forced to abdicate his throne. With vivid colours, the loss of the Koh-i-Noor diamond to the Crown and the Maharaja’s subsequent exile into the world of his captors are conveyed.
Artwork titled ‘Sarah Baartman’ sheds light on the heartbreaking story of a Khoikhoi woman who was taken from South Africa and exploited as a spectacle in Europe for her curvaceous features. Through coloured pencil renderings, the artist aims to evoke empathy and understanding of her plight and all women around the world.
‘The Dodo and the Tasmanian Tiger, serves as a sombre reminder of the irreversible loss caused by human interference in fragile ecosystems. Through coloured illustrations, the artist depicts these once- majestic creatures, now symbols of the devastating impact of unchecked human greed, as well as the importance of wildlife conservation.
‘Pocahontas’, is the juxtaposition of the real-life journey of Pocahontas, including her voyage to England with her child, against the Disney portrayal of her story. Beyond her connection to John Smith, Pocahontas, was traded, had a son, married John Rolfe, converted to Christianity and became Rebecca Rolfe. She suddenly died at the age of 20 on a boat back to her homeland Virginia.
In ‘Looty’ the iconic Pekingese dog is a symbol of the problematic colonial attitudes and actions of this time. Appropriated from the painting by Friedrich Wilhelm ‘Looty’ 1861. The piece highlights Queen Victoria’s casual acceptance of looted treasures, as well as the lasting impact of this period, such as the ‘100 years of shame’ sentiment felt by the Chinese.
In ‘The Stone of Scone’, the artist explores the contested history and enduring symbolism of the Stone of Destiny, drawing inspiration from the stone’s removal from Scotland and it’s subsequent return by a group of Scottish students and an infamous break-in to Westminster Abbey with an ambitious plot to return the Stone to its ‘home’.
Jennifer Green Bio
Jennifer Green is an emerging artist who specialises in creating 2D pieces through various mediums, such as oil, gauche, pencil and pastel. Her work often serves as a means to process her emotions and observations about the world around her, resulting in a unique, emotive perspective. Jennifer’s portfolio features a diverse range of artistic styles including impressionism, realism, figurative and surrealism.
Jennifer Green CV
Qualifications
Diploma of Illustration Melbourne Polytechnic, 2016 Certificate IV Visual Arts Melbourne Polytechnic, 2015.
Awards
Best Traditional Painting- Illustra Ashby Street, 2016.
Exhibitions
Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy 50 Squared Art prize, 2022
Backspace Gallery, Ballarat Dark Rainbow, 2021
The District, Docklands Moss Deck Show, 2020
Hawthorn Library, Hawthorn Boroondara Today: Portraits of Boroondara, 2020
Prahran Mechanics Institute Illustra, 2016
Preston Fresh Hood Market The Penny Beam Studio, 2016
Inner Space Gallery, Prahran Fact or Fiction: Portrait Exhibition 2015
Bundoora Homestead Gallery Botanica, 2015
Klyti Green Statement
In the Summer of 2023, feeling overwhelmed by the sudden lack of rhythm and routine that had up until then been provided by school terms and the change in seasons throughout the year, Klyti decided to paint.
The process was so enjoyable she decided to continue the experience and complete one canvas each month. The paintings in this series are a selection of those works (excluding Circling the Sun, completed in 2022).
When Klyti paints she feels possessed by the magic of colour, movement and shape, lifted into a world without words. Feeling very present in the moment, the active and creative process transports her into aspects of herself perhaps forgotten, feeling both like a meditation, and an adventure. Dancing to music that moves us can free us to express all aspects of ourselves. Painting supports Klyti in connecting with her spirit and expressing that connection. Her children have provided great inspiration for expressing oneself truly and freely.
Klyti Green Bio
Klyti grew up on a farm in the countryside near Mansfield, along with her sister and brother, many farm animals, her parents, aunt and grandparents. Starry nights, spectacular sunsets, beautiful landscapes and a real appreciation of all seasons were some of the gifts these years provided.
While living in the country Klyti attended a small Steiner primary school and her mother later moved the family to Melbourne so she and her siblings could continue a Steiner education in high school. This education provided a wealth of creative experience and appreciation of beauty and nature and its influence can be seen in her paintings.
In 2019 Klyti completed an online creativity course called Activate Your Creative Mojo with Heather Matthew. This course inspired a project titled 52 Landscapes, in which she completed a series of landscape drawings over a year and a half.
Working on a creative project over an extended period of time has given Klyti a love and appreciation of the creative process and everything that it has to offer.
Contact
Phone : (03) 9482 3550
mail@redgallery.com.au
Address
157 St Georges Rd
Fitzroy North, Victoria, 3068
Map
How to get here
Tram: Route 11
Stop 21 just north of Edinburgh Gardens
Melway Ref: 30B12
Parking in nearby streets
Bus: 504 (Reid Street)
