Just when we thought the world as we knew it was over and we’d never be permitted into another art gallery, we spoke to Lumas Galleries Australia and it turns out things have been moving along regardless.
There have been some art trends to emerge out of the Covid-19 lockdown pandemic and no one’s mad about it!
Exploration, self-discovery, and freedom have long been themes central to artistic expression. As the world tackles the coronavirus pandemic, day by day we’re observing new trends emerging from the art world. These trends apply across the way we consume, produce and engage with the arts & culture sector in powerful ways. One major change is that the way we used to participate with the arts has evolved now that social gatherings are limited or restricted. We can no longer attend art fairs, museums, or attend exhibitions in large numbers. But that doesn’t mean communication, building communities, and expression has stopped. In fact, engagement with arts & culture has arguably increased.
As artists, galleries, and other cultural institutions transition into leveraging digital platforms, accessibility to the arts have become easier and more attainable. Creativity knows no bounds. Whether it’s artists using the extra hours in the days staying indoors to produce more art than they have before, or discovering and finding inspiration in the emotional whirlwind of the world we live in today, one thing is clear – contemporary art will continue to evolve and adapt to any circumstance it is faced with. With all this in mind we are proud to present the works that have emerged from new and existing LUMAS artists during this time.
Together with artist Tharien Smith, Bruce Boyd developed an extremely elaborate technique in which they freeze flower arrangements in ice over the course of several days. Then they put these blocks of ice into rivers or lakes. This makes cracks in the ice or causes bubbles to form inside it. The flowers become part of an active transformation. Only then do Boyd and Smith begin taking photographs. Randomness and intention are both at play here, as are enchanting beauty and dynamic unpredictability. Sometimes a blossom juts out of the ice block and changes color. Cracks might make another flower appear to be broken up into several pieces.
Every one of Boyd’s pieces is unique with its own character and charm.
Mary Kocol’s inspiration grows from the memories planted in the gardens that her father and his friends grew during her childhood. These gardens – cultivated with fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants such as peonies, irises and carnations – still live within her mind. In her most recent works, a series of frozen, shimmering flowers, Kocol reflects upon themes such as gardens, landscape, and seasonal changes. The flowers are frozen in ice, then photographed in sunlight, creating everlasting evidence of two temporal states. In the process, there is always an element of chance and surprise, making each creation unique and unpredictable.
