TOM ROBERTS
Local emerging artists Laura Horrocks and Rachel Farlow have opened an exhibition of their work at Innerspace’s Contemporary Art Pop Up on Ann Street in Fortitude Valley.
The opening night of the exhibition, titled ‘Slowly, Subtly’, showcased painting by Horrocks and Farlow, and concluded with an informal Q&A with the artists, who spoke about their backgrounds and their creative upbringings.
The exhibition’s overarching theme was a commentary on the materiality of the human experience, and the need for sensibility in everyday living.
Brisbane artist Laura Horrocks has been living in Paris since 2015, and said her collection of paintings for ‘Slowly, Subtly’ reflected the influence of the French capital.
“As soon as I knew I was serious about art I knew I needed to spend time in Paris,” Ms Horrocks said.
“I grew up in Townsville and have a strong connection to my hometown, so the balance between where someone has come from and where they are now has been something I’ve tried to illustrate with these paintings,” she said.
Ms Horrocks said most of the paintings featured in her display were conceptualised and painted overseas.
“Rebirth explores the paradox of falling together and coming apart, which I found central to the experience of leaving home and living overseas,” she said.
“It’s my favourite of the display, just personally.”
“I like to look at things scientifically and this piece is the closest I feel I came to showing that.”
Rachel Farlow was based in Lismore until 2016, when she moved to Brisbane to study Fine Art at the Queensland College of Art.
Her works have featured in the Lismore Regional Gallery and display a unique style that centres itself in the modernist form of abstraction.
Ms Farlow said much of the inspiration for her ‘Slowly, Subtly’ submissions came from living in a ruralised environment.
“My family had a property in Lismore that I spent most of my childhood at, and it was pretty isolated from the rest of the world,” she said.
“It was a beautiful environment, but very slow some days.”
“I guess it gave me an appreciation of how subjective time as a concept is.”
The ‘Slowly, Subtly’ exhibition was sponsored by Sydney-based craft beer brewing company, Young Henrys.
Young Henrys sales representative Jack Macintosh said he believed the opening was a success.
“We had a pop-up bar so people could enjoy a beer or a glass of red while enjoying the artwork,” he said.
“There was a good turnout and it grew into a really social event by the end, which is great for the artists and the people there.”