Jennifer Catt + Angela Tay

Saltwater Lagoon 1.jpg

Exhibition dates: 7 March - 14 April 2019
Exhibition opening: Saturday 9 March, 2pm

Jenni Catt + Angela Tay
Paradise of Waters, Movements and Impermanence

Two artists have created complementary bodies of work exploring saltwater and freshwater spaces in the landscape and the intriguing relationship humans have with these environments.

There are two themes explored in Jennifer Catt’s paintings. One is what Professor George Seddon referred to as “the dissonance between expressed perception of the environment in Australia and environmental behaviour”. Australians “love” the bush, and commonly call it fragile yet our desire to be in it and unravel its mysteries will destroy it. The second is the perennial pursuit of many artists – capturing the light. It is the light that creates the reflections, the shimmering surfaces of lagoons, farm dams, ponds and seas. It is the light that creates for her the mystical aspect of the landscape.

Angela Tay’s work about the intertidal communities is a metaphor for a wider world issue of population movements and displacement that I think is worth reflecting upon. “Body movements/gesturing are integral to my work processes. These body movements are linked to my formal training in both traditional Chinese brush works and Taiji exercise where energy is expressed from the sole of my feet through my body and limbs. I explore these strategies through the lens of video art and installation performance with improvised choreography/ Chinese calligraphy to structure my compositions. My particular interest is lines and movements that are ephemeral or traceable, and how this relate to my art practice.”

Image Credit Jenni Catt 'Saltwater Lagoon 1'