Coffs Harbour’s award-winning Yarrila Arts and Museum is about to swap prize-winning portraits for salt lakes, snakes and sequins, with three touring photographic exhibitions opening this spring.
The Salt Lake by Murray Fredericks, Snakes and Mirrors by Petrina Hicks and Bad Sports by The Huxleys will all open at YAM on Saturday, 26 September, on tour from the Museum of Australian Photography (MAPh).
City of Coffs Harbour Mayor Nikki Williams said the shows marked a change of pace after the gallery’s recent run of blockbuster exhibitions.
“On tour from the Museum of Australian Photography, these exhibitions are a gear-change from the Archibald Prize and RELICS which saw strong attendance at YAM,” Mayor Williams said.
“It is great to see our gallery keeping the offering fresh for the community.”
In Gallery 1, The Salt Lake is a major survey of Fredericks’ photography, bringing together his Salt, Array, Vanity and most recent series, Blaze. Fredericks first visited Lake Eyre, or Kati Thanda, one of the world’s largest salt lakes, in 2003, and has since returned 31 times, developing work over 20 years that has established him as one of the leading international artists challenging the traditions of landscape photography, using weather, reflection, perspective, light and darkness to convey scale, isolation and transcendence.
In Gallery 2, Hicks’ large-scale photographs draw from mythology, fables and historical art imagery to reframe the contemporary female experience. In Snakes and Mirrors, the artist contemplates the self-awareness of animals and the desire to understand the phenomenology of animal life through a human lens.
In Gallery 3, Melbourne-based collaborative performance and visual artists Will and Garrett Huxley present Bad Sports, reflecting on the struggle of growing up in a country which prioritises sporting achievement above all else. Thrust into the ferocious floodlights of the playing field, the exhibition becomes a performative way for queer people at odds with sports to feel like they can “play”, figuratively, creatively and physically.
Museum and Gallery Service Leader Carrie Kibbler said the exhibitions would build on a strong year for the gallery.
“It’s already been a massive year for YAM and these exhibitions will build on that momentum,” Ms Kibbler said.
“As an emerging premier regional gallery, we’re always looking at how we can create incredible art experiences for the community and keep pushing the envelope.
“We’re also excited to welcome The Huxleys to YAM, as Garrett is a proud Gumbaynggirr/Yorta Yorta man who was born in Coffs Harbour and has family connections to the area.”
The free-entry exhibitions will be formally opened by MAPh Director Anouska Phizacklea, who will give an exhibition talk in the galleries from 4pm to 5pm on the opening day. The official launch runs from 5pm to 7pm on Saturday, 26 September, with complimentary light refreshments and music by DJ Jemka, while the YAM Bar will be open for drinks, local craft beers and cocktails.
The exhibitions will continue at YAM until 22 November.
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