Following the short covid lockdown enforced closure in July, the Top of the Torrens Community Gallery in Birdwood is delighted to have its doors open once again, just in time to participate in the 2021 SALA festival.
Working to the theme of ‘Somewhere in Time’, 35 Gallery Members have assembled a diverse range of creations for the SALA festival, once again expertly staged by Curator Annette Dawson and her team of helpers, encompassing paintings and wall art in all media, including, oils, acrylics, pastels, watercolours, photography and pencil drawings, glassware, pottery pieces, metal sculpture and woodwork (both functional and decorative), textiles, knits, lego-art, paper quilling, jewellery, art cards / prints and more.
“In addition to a fresh presentation of wall art capturing all manner of images, our 3D works are equally diverse, from tiny delicate paper flowers to luxurious nuno-felted silk shawls and a life-sized sculpture of a goat in rusted reclaimed metal! To say that the gallery is awash with a wonderfully diverse array of fabulous artwork is truly an understatement,” a gallery spokesperson said.
Gallery member Lyn Stephens has focused on flowers of the medieval era as the inspiration for her ‘Somewhere in Time’ collection of delicate quilled paper artworks and unique gift cards.
Lyn elaborated on her theme saying “In the 21st Century it’s hard for us to appreciate the significance flowers held during the Medieval era. Flowers were enjoyed in the wild and in gardens for their fragrance and visual impact, they were eaten and added to wine. They featured prominently in festivals, feast days and Holy days. They were used extensively for medication and healing. Many were thought to have special power to protect from plagues, pestilences, and evil spirits. On a very human level, if they hadn’t died of cold or starvation during the winter, we can but imagine how the struggling common folk viewed the first flowers of Spring with their promise of warmer days and easier times to come.”
The ‘Somewhere in Time’ exhibition is on show at Top Of The Torrens Community Gallery, Shannon Street Birdwood (adjacent to the Birdwood Motor Museum) until September 26th, open Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm.
