The upcoming exhibition is Jane’s first
solo Printmaking exhibition in a major gallery.
The exhibition title ‘Vertigo Warriors’ has been inspired by Jane’s
recent journey with breast cancer. The theme of the exhibition and artwork is
based upon Jane’s emotional and spiritual response to the challenges and
changes faced on the road through treatment and recovery. “Printmaking provides
me with a very cathartic way to document my journey and express myself” Jane
said.
This will be Jane’s first solo exhibition
as a professional visual artist since completing her Diploma of Fine Arts
through Western Institute of TAFE at the end of 2011.
Jane’s arts practice balances its focuses between the art of printmaking
and also creating large scale oil and acrylic paintings and mixed media
drawings. Within the printmaking discipline, Jane explores copper-sulphate
etchings on aluminium plates, woodblock prints, linocuts, collagraphs and
monoprints. The exhibition will feature a range of different printmaking
mediums and techniques used to create the artworks on display.
A printmaking display by Jane will be held on Saturday 12th April from 10am - 12pm, don't miss this opportunity to see how it is done.
‘Vertigo Warriors’ - Artist Statement by Jane Tonks
Prints
appeal to me as they have the beautiful qualities of a limited, handmade,
collectable piece of original artwork. It is the manual, meditative process of
Printmaking that I find so appealing. Each plate requires a labour of love,
creativity and patience. My artworks are full of whimsical figures and
landscapes that intertwine to create quirky narratives on life.
‘Vertigo’, the fear of falling
over the edge, is a metaphor for the devastation you feel when diagnosed with
cancer. The imagery of ‘paper-chain’ figures in these prints is an icon for the
many ‘Warrior Women’ who are going through, or have gone through breast cancer.
The paper chain exhibits qualities of both strength and fragility in equal
measure. These whimsical figures
represent the many wonderful women I have met along the way and the strength
and resilience gained through personal caring networks of family and friends.
As time has progressed, these
figures seem to have taken on a life-force of their own and I’m never sure what
they will be doing next, however, there is always a deeper examination and
expression of emotion and mortality underlying the whimsical notions. I hope
these artworks resonate with a powerful message about resilience, survival and
hope.
"Dreams of flight"
