General News
7 March, 2024
Exhibition will continue important dialogue beyond International Women’s Day
On a simple clothesline hangs an unassuming orange t-shirt, bearing a message that resonates not just with the wearer but with ladies everywhere — it reads ‘Wonder Woman’. And as we celebrate International Women’s Day today, that phrase has...
On a simple clothesline hangs an unassuming orange t-shirt, bearing a message that resonates not just with the wearer but with ladies everywhere — it reads ‘Wonder Woman’.
And as we celebrate International Women’s Day today, that phrase has never been more relevant.
This two dimensional garment, painted on a black canvas, is one of many artworks that will go up on display tomorrow, as part of the upcoming Women on Women exhibition.
Launching at the Central Goldfields Art Gallery (CGAG), the showcase will bring together local and Melbourne-based artists, under the overarching theme of the diversity of women’s experiences.
Works will include paintings, drawings, photographs, textiles and printmaking — giving visitors the opportunity to explore the unique and varying perspectives surrounding womanhood.
For the artist behind the ‘Wonder Woman’ t-shirt, Tenar Dwyer, the exhibition is about gaining insight into the creative, women-led practices of her co-contributors.
“It’s lovely that it’s happening in conjunction with International Women’s Day and it’s [going to be] very valuable,” she said.
“I’m really pleased to be sharing the space with other women who are representing certain feminist ideas.
“My [own] work, particularly the ‘Wonder Woman’ piece, is really about looking at the heroic value of unpaid labour that mostly falls on women. It’s my way of saying that ladies who take on domestic work are my heroes.”
Within the art space too, Ms Dwyer said there was a lot of merit around a women-centred display at the gallery.
“If you look at an art school, women make up between 80 to 90 percent of the cohort,” she said.
“But, it’s the men who mostly get represented [outside of it].
“So to have our work in a public gallery, that’s promoting the arts in the region, is really significant. It is also a privilege.”
The exhibition itself is the result of a partnership between CGAG and Melbourne’s not-for-profit entity, Satellite Projects.
According to the organisation’s Annabel Brown, who is also the curator of Women on Women, at its core, the showcase is about igniting necessary dialogue.
“[Its] intention is to open up and expand ways of thinking about feminism. In this manner, there is no central theme to the exhibition, but instead, a broad yet inter-related terrain of ideas and practices is presented,” she said.
“Women on Women serves as a conversation starter and an invitation to an ongoing discussion about moving away from exploitative, oppressive systems toward more expanded worlds of intersectional solidarity.
“[It] evokes both bold acts of refusal and rebellion, as well as quieter methods through which individuals invent their own everyday ways of challenging gender norms.”
The significance of the exhibition can also be felt beyond the walls of the gallery, Central Goldfields Shire Council mayor Liesbeth Long added.
“By showcasing women’s art at the CGAG we are embracing a mindset of worthiness,” she said.
“Gender inclusion through art is a concept that transcends mere equality. It’s the notion that art is open to all people and that male and female stereotypes do not define societal roles and expectations.
“The shire has some fantastic creatives and it is so good that we, as a [community], are able to showcase their talents in our award winning art gallery. Equal representation for women in museums and art galleries is a way to diminish sexism, either perceived or actual.”
Alongside MsDwyer, the exhibition will also featureFirst Nations artist Tashara Roberts,Fiona Somerville from Talbot, and Melbourne's Ruth O’Leary, Starlie Geikie, and Lyndal Walker.
Entry for the Women on Women exhibition is free, with the opening scheduled for Saturday, March 9 at 10 am. Food and beverages will be provided.