The Manning Regional Art Gallery will explore the unique relationship of life-long friends Amber Carbury and Laura Southwell, when 'Coalescence' opens on Saturday, July 22 at 2pm.
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'Coalescence' encapsulates the journey between two life-long friends and the unique interpretations gathered from similar experiences and interests.
The exploration of 'coalescence' implies an affinity in merging elements to create an organic entity.
Amber and Laura have created paintings that address concepts such as: life and death, beauty and the grotesque, natural and synthetic, order and chaos, real and imaginary, and past and present.
Realistic portraits of friends, through to detailed rendering of a bird’s features highlight Amber’s skill in the use of colour and tone.
The detail she includes in her subject as well as the background make the works almost vibrate, and invite the viewer to linger in the experience.
"Painting has enabled me to truly express what I see and feel in life,” Amber said. “Moments I’ve felt needed to be captured, colours and textures that make me feel good inside and imagery that plays on imagination."
Laura’s works in mixed media convey a more abstract depiction of her inspirations such as iridescent colour on a scarlet-headed honey-eater, the velvety marbled surface of a piece of Silky Oak or cracks on the surface of a muddy road.
"I have always been drawn to things of intrigue, the left of centre environments and the subtle aesthetic pleasures found in the seemingly banal,” Laura said. “I see the natural world as an elaborate palette of colours, patterns and textural experiences that can be used as an inspirational springboard from which to create art.”
The two artists have also collaborated on a number of works, blending their differing styles to create unique, multi-dimensional imagery.
Coalescence is an intriguing look at how two humans, with shared life experiences, view some of life's most challenging polarities and how their individual perceptions merge to form their own perspective.
'Coalescence' will be launched together with 'Perpetual Motion', which takes a fascinating look at electromagnetic fields, and how they connect humans and the natural world. Both exhibitions are open until Sunday, August 27.
For more information on events at the gallery, visit: http://mrag.midcoast.nsw.gov.au