Artists from across the Central West have created new artworks inspired by those in the collection for the exhibition Call + Response, which opens at 6pm on Friday, April 8.

Participating artists Ros Auld, Alexander Boynes in collaboration with Mandy Martin, Martin Coyte, Neil Cuthbert, Victor Gordon, David Serisier and Tim Winters have chosen to represent paintings by Brett Whiteley, Wendy Sharpe, Aida Tomescu and Ian Fairweather, sculptures by Alan Peascod and Frank Hinder and a photograph by Jeff Carter.

Writer/curator Andrew Flatau has also created a book to go with the exhibition detailing each artist’s reasons for choosing a particular artwork and the meaning and thought process behind their representation.

“This is really exposing the value of our collection in our regional gallery and what it can do, art is of great value to the community,” Mr Flatau said.

“It’s a group of regional artists who were invited to respond to a work of their choice in the gallery collection.

“Juxtaposed with the work they have selected from the collection are their responses to it, it’s a compare and contrast exhibition.”

Selecting the painting Woman at Window, 1955 by Ian Fairweather, Ms Auld was inspired by the strong lines and sense of depth in the painting, which she reflected with a metal sculpture based on the strong lines and a softer ceramic sculpture that carried the muted tones and multiple frames of the painting.

For his work, Victor Gordon wasn’t tempted to reproduce Alan Peascod’s sculpture Myopia II, in his painting Myopia3 = the elephant in the room, and instead used the theme to make a commentary on social short-sightedness on issues including global warming, Indigenous Australia and Islam in Australia. 

tanya.marschke@fairfaxmedia.com.au