Business Update – March 2023
March 18, 2023
Specie explained
May 22, 2023
Late in 2020, the Keystone team was inspired to purchase some artwork in support of local artists and to start decorating the walls of their new office space. Purchases were made from some local galleries.
Studio Gallery offers contemporary artworks for sale from a wide variety of artists and in diverse media. They have a gallery in Cheltenham near the office, as well as in Armadale closer to Melbourne, Waterloo in New South Wales, and Fortitude Valley in Queensland.
Works purchased from Studio Gallery include ‘Lumina’ by Paul Snell. This is a chromogenic print, face-mounted on a narrow plexiglass box that is 180 cm high. This boldly coloured work is one of the first pieces that catch the eye upon entry to the office. The vivid colours are a demonstration of the artist’s interest in colour, depth, and focus that is achieved through a photographic image. The Perspex box gives the colours a luminosity and vibrant depth.
‘Suspension in Red’ by Anya Pesce, is a hand-moulded piece of polymethyl methacrylate in a brilliant red colour, designed to look like folded or scrunched cellophane or fabric hanging on the wall. We have placed it near the windows where at certain times of the day, the light glows through it and creates neon-like light shapes on the wall.
Many collectors for whom Keystone provides policies have aboriginal artworks in their collections. We have seen numerous fine examples of this type of art and have been keen to include some in our own collection. ‘Mina Mina Jukurrpa (Mina Mina Dreaming)’ by Jeanie Napangardi Lewis is an acrylic on canvas artwork done in the dot art style. This shows the artist’s traditional country west of Yuendumu located approximately 300 kilometres north-west of Alice Springs. The painting contains waterholes that feature in the landscape of her home country.
Without Pier is a gallery that has morphed from a physical gallery space to online, offering works by established and emerging Australian artists including aboriginal art. The list of artists represented is extensive and features an eclectic mix of styles and formats.
Stewart Westle is a vibrant landscape artist whose aim is to not only paint the idea of the views around him but to try to express the feelings of calm and reflection that he experiences when painting in the bush. This is evident in the happy colourings and bold brushstrokes of the paintings. Keystone has chosen two pieces, one from his Mornington Peninsula series where the artist lives, and one from his travels to central Australia. These works are ‘Home Country, Red Hill’ and ‘Along the Larapinta Trail II’.
Continuing the landscape theme, Keystone has ‘Red Centre Road’ by Kevin Orpin, which is an acrylic work on paper. This shows the outback landscape from the air and portrays the vastness of the country spread to the horizon. Kevin Orpin is a multi-disciplined artist as evidenced in his photographer’s eye seen in the painting. His skills not only include producing artwork, he is also a talented photographer, filmmaker, and designer.
Keystone’s most recent acquisition is ‘The Teraphim’ by Shag. This is a large print on paper by American artist Josh Agle, better known as Shag. He is inspired by the cartoons and advertising genre of the 1950s and 1960s that depict sophisticated modern life. His scenes are often of parties and stylish scenes of domestic self-indulgence and consumption. ‘The Teraphim’, though, is in the style of Henri Rousseau’s tropical paintings and is reminiscent of the detail and vibrancy of Regency wallpaper. Sharp bright colourings show a couple enjoying a waterhole surrounded by a lush jungle landscape with a Moai head, tropical birds, flaming skulls, and bright tropical flowers. Shag sells his work in Australia through Outré Gallery in the Melbourne CBD and at Fitzroy.
References:
www.studiogallerymelbourne.com.au/
www.artistprofile.com.au/paul-snell/
