Last chance to see exhibition of contemporary Australian art

If you’ve not seen it already I  really recommend 5 BY 5: An Exhibition of Contemporary Australian Art
It’s on at The Menier Gallery in Southwark until June 5th. The exhibition showcases the work of five artists, Helen Pynor, Tony Lloyd, Anthony White, Dennis Nona and Laith McGregor.

The ephemeral and sensual C-type photographs of flowers by Helen Pynor are stunning (she was recently selected for the RBS Emerging Artist Award in Australia, and has been selected for the Royal Academy this year!) and her technique fascinating – it includes the use of milk, roots, stitching, and hours of patience!  
My other favourite was Dennis Nona, from the Torres Strait Islands just north of the northmost part of Australia. His work is internationally renowned – in London there are examples at the British Museum and V & A. His intricate etchings are exceptional examples of how intersecting cultures, those of the Torres Strait Islands, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and mainland Australia, influence and enrich each other. Writing in the free and very beautiful exhibition catalogue Ashley Crawford describes Nona’s work as ‘a dazzling kaleidoscope of information, a palimpsest of language and story’.
Don’t miss the exhibition!

By Susan Wood