Since the 1980s Janelle Cugley has been meditating on linking walking to an awareness of colour and texture. For well over a decade she has been talking passionately about “paletting” place.
Over this twenty-year period she has been walking the wheatbelt country east of Perth, the streets around her home and the city streets of Perth and Northbridge, amongst others.
Her thinking has been ahead of the pack. At this point in time with other disciplines in Perth embracing and promoting walking and mapping practice, this exhibition acknowledges a Perth artist, a pioneer, who was not understood and consequently marginalised. Domenico de Clario, currently Head of Fine Arts at Monash University, describes Janelle as “one of those individuals who are able for whatever reason to move ahead of thinking modes common to their generation”.
Artists are so often marginalised. When we do understand what they are about their thinking fascinates us, we admire the way they see, their ability to view the world differently. They cut to the chase and identify the essence of things. We pick up on their thoughts but generally we don’t employ them to be part of design teams. The design of our environment is left to the ‘professionals’, the architects, the engineers and the urban designers.
This exhibition will feature photographic prints, video and other installation works, found objects and a ‘palette’ of a recent collaborative walk made through East Perth.
There will also be two walks undertaken during the exhibition period as part of the Artrage Festival.
These are open to all and will take place on :
- Sunday 19 October 10am – Coming down – from the whirligig, Hyde Park to Northbridge
- Sunday 26 October 3pm – Coming across – from Holmes à Court Gallery, East Perth to Northbridge
Bring a camera! The photo palette from these two walks will be added to the existing piece.
A small publication will accompany the exhibition. Texts by Domenico de Clario, Neil Leach and Barry Maund make a powerful testament to Janelle’s passion and process.
