An Exhibition of Ceramic Sculpture by Meredith Plain at Bulleen Art & Garden February 2006  This is an eclectic collection of ceramic sculptures, which could be said to arise from my travels over the past couple of years. It is all work which is a bit different to, or extends, my usual dragon, frog and pelican themes. – from Gaudi’s Spain, to Portuguese churches, to French hilltops, (during my first trip to Europe in 2004 ); to the Daintree and back to the Yarra Valley, along with a few flights of fantasy. As usual there have been a few different strands, which can be loosely pulled together as work inspired by place. Much of this derived from - a trip which sought the byways and groundroots art as well as the better known cities and galleries. There have also been some Aussie influences creeping in. The following gives a bit of background on some of the work in this exhibition  Religion
One of the first things to strike me on my arrival, after the undeniable age of many things, was religion, starting with the massive cathedral in Seville. The pervasive reach of religion was particularly evident in the traditional areas of northern Portugal. From Bom Jesus - with its multitude of terraces and particularly graphic saintly relics and petitions to these saints; to the large churches found in all the towns; to Mont Video with its small chapel overflowing with wax ears left by those hoping to get their hearing back; to wayside shrines; and colourful cemetries. An initial response to this has been the Aussie icons.  
Gaudi and Spain  Gaudi’s Barcelona was one of the must-see stops of the trip. There was a free-flowing and expressive use of colour and decoration, in a well-conceived design context. This has given rise to some experimentation with shape and the use of mosaics as an adjunct to a design concept. Travelling in Europe put Gaudi’s work in it’s context – arising in Spain with it’s strong Moorish heritage, and as a part of Europe in the midst of the prevailing art movements a hundred years ago.  France
The France we visited was generally rich rolling countryside dotted with hills. When you looked a bit more closely each hill usually sported an ancient stone hilltop village. (Most were described as one of the “Plus Beaux Villages de France”, ion large signs as you entered). These villages were very old and picturesque, so different from anything we were likely to see in Australia. But if you looked you could also see the nuclear reactors in the valleys below these villages.  Portugal
Sculpture This was a trip where looking at art, architecture, sculpture and ceramics were a priority. I managed to see a huge variety of works including visiting many potters’ studios, the art brut of the Facteur Cheval, Rodin’s Sculpture, an English sculptor’s exhibition in Porto, contemporary art at the Pompidou, and the Louvre & Prado. 
Rural The sight of a beautifully old-fashioned tractor trundling along in a paddock beside the Diamond Creek bike path set off a train of thought which encompasses a number of factors, which probably add up to a salute to a vanishing way of life on the land. - There is the “olden days” of my childhood in country Victoria. This was a time when everything was green and bright and Australia could live off the land and the sheep’s back. (Although this may just have been because Rachel Carson hadn’t yet drawn our attention to the culprits – DDT and dieldrin et al. ) - There is also an old truck on my in-law’s Western District farm - a testament to the days of establishing their soldier settler’s property. - The French countryside. I was surprised at how much of heavily populated France was country. I saw lots of animals living happily on their small family farms, next to the productive veggie gardens and lush fruit trees. These farms seem to represent an idyllic way of life, largely government subsidized, that fewer unsubsidised Australian farmers can now afford.  
 An Australian connection  And some miscellaneous inspirations 
|