Discover the bold depictions of rural life in NSW by Moree based artist, Jo White in her new exhibition Fibre of Being at New England Regional Art Museum, opening at 6.00pm on Friday 22nd March 2019.
This new exhibition continues White’s celebration of Australia’s rural culture, communities and rituals, told through nostalgic stories of people at work, home and play. The human figure, images of retro tucks, machinery, and iconic rural architecture dominate the landscape and capture an almost romantic view of life in the country not so long ago. In Fibre of Being White pays homage to forebears by celebrating the stories of her family and friends, and the dust-tinged tales of Australia’s farming families. White’s own history, her childhood growing up on a sheep and broadacre farm, is intertwined with a more universal sense of a recent past that is distinctly Australian. Working the land, communities and families drawn together, tin sheds in an isolated paddock all feature in White’s unique style that is contemporary but draws upon historic painting styles.
“While these works are personal to Jo’s own life, they also resonate broadly with many people,” said Rachael Parsons, NERAM Director. “I think that for anyone who has grown up in regional Australia there will be automatic recognition and connections to their own experiences, and for those of us who come from the city, the works evoke what we always imagined idyllic country life to be like.”
“People in the country are currently struggling with the impacts of prolonged drought. This body of work presents an unaffected view and perhaps provides an antithesis to the current struggles. If nothing else it celebrates the strong tradition of farming in Australia and reminds us of the people, families and communities that have built this industry and are currently doing it tough.”
Jo White is an emerging artist who held her first solo exhibition at Michael Reid Murrurundi in 2017. She has exhibited at both Sydney and Melbourne’s The Other Art Fair in 2016 and 2017 and at the Moree Gallery. This will be her first solo exhibition at the New England Regional Art Museum and features a series of acrylic paintings and watercolours.
The exhibition Fibre of Being will be on display at NERAM from Friday 22 March until Sunday 28 April.
