‘Para-art’ exhibition showcases purity and vibrancy that aims straight at the heart

The Hands On Studio was founded in Canberra in 1996 as a safe environment for people with a disability to create art. Over the almost three decades of its existence, the Hands On Studio has held numerous exhibitions at many public institutions.

The exhibition at the Megalo Print Studio and Gallery is different from any of the others that I am aware of, with a riotous, colourful focus on food and comes complete with its professionally published cookbook.

Tilly Davey, the Hands On Studio manager and project producer, explained the thinking behind this project.

She notes: “This project has centred on the exchange of skills in a non-hierarchical, collaborative manner, allowing everyone involved to broaden their knowledge, practices, and relationships across different community sectors.

“As part of this initiative, members of The Cook On Club developed accessible recipes intended for their peers, incorporating fresh ingredients from the Mulch program. The Mulch team shared gardening tips and tricks, which are featured in this book. The Cook On Club’s recipes were then shared with Hands On Studio artists, who in collaboration with Megalo Print Studio, created drawings and prints that illustrate the book and are showcased in this exhibition. The recipes also inspired the creation of sculptural food pieces displayed on a vibrant table setting.”

The exhibition has a festive atmosphere with a large table in the middle of the room laden with ‘food’ made of different materials. There are cheeses, pies, fruit, bottles, candelabra, eating utensils, flowers, a spectacular tablecloth and many other objects that I have been unable to readily identify. It is an art of unbridled creativity, one that is not held back by rules and norms.

There is something to be said about just doing it without the need to plan, justify or apply rules. This confidence of touch spreads to much of the other two-dimensional work that is on display on the walls around the gallery. This includes the fabulous tea towels – about 19 of them – decorated with inks, fabric markers, fabric pastels, and screenprints made in collaboration with Megalo screen-printers. One particularly striking image is that of a red cat, outlined in black and positioned against a strong blue background. It bears the inscription ‘Narla’ and is made by Miri Maricic.

These are direct and immediate images that possess a simple purity and vibrancy. Equally direct but more sophisticated in technique are the etchings with several strong artistic personalities emerging, including Anne Walsh, Rhondah Atkinson and Steven Patreach. The figure form of Patreach has a simplicity of outline but an incredible complexity of detail on the interior. These are beautiful, expressive works that are direct in their means of execution and are images that go straight to the heart.

There are further drawings and paintings on the walls, some of great intricacy by artists including Zara Mann, Bridget Graham, Shane Tunks, Francesca Walls, Anne Walsh and Eden Cannon. All of the work is fresh, immediate and made this year.

Early in the 20th century, the art of the unschooled and disabled was embraced by some of the modernist artists, sometimes under the banner of ‘art brut’ or ‘raw art’. Now, ‘Para-art’ is seen within its own category rather than as a reflection of mainstream developments. It possesses a purity and vibrancy from which we may all learn.

Hands On Studio’s Plate to Plate is exhibiting at the Megalo Print Studio, 21 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston, until 12 October from Tuesday to Saturday, 9:30 am to 5 pm.

Original Article published by Sasha Grishin on Riotact.