Exhibition 'Kakadu, an artist's perspective'

In June of this year, renowned Australian artists travelled to a remote location in Kakadu in the Northern Territory to participate in a week long artist's camp. It is the same site where recently found artefacts show that Aboriginal people have live in Australia for 18,000 years longer than previously estimated.   Mike Mitchell, Director of Mitchell Fine Art, organised the trip to inspire artists with some of the most exquisite landscape that Australia has to offer, while providing them the opportunity to engage with the Aboriginal traditional owners.   Participating artists include Steve Lopes, Franck Gohier, Euan Macleod, Peter Hudson and Christine Christophersen. Travelling to Western Arnhem land the group spent time with traditional owners and their families exploring the country, visiting rarely seen rock art and scenery and learning about the area and the immense significance of country for the local Aboriginal people. Participating  artists  include  Steve  Lopes,  Franck  Gohier,  Euan  Macleod,  Peter  Hudson  and Christine Christophersen. Travelling  to  Western Arnhem  land  the  group  spent  time  with traditional  owners  and  their  families exploring  the  country,  visiting  rarely  seen  rock  art  and scenery  and  learning  about  the  area  and  the immense  significance  of  country  for  the  local Aboriginal  people.    What  followed  was  a  week  of  plein air  painting  (French  for  painting  outdoors)  in  and  around  Arnhem  Land.  It  resulted  in  a  body  of  work  that  is  an  immediate  reaction  to  the  landscape, inspired by  the  experiences  and  observations  of  the  world’s  oldest  culture  in  a  place unchanged  over thousands  of  years.     The  group  witnessed  snippets  of  a  lifestyle  and  culture  that  goes  beyond  recorded  memory.  Aboriginal  rock  art  depicting  Thylacines  (Tasmanian  Tigers),  ceremony  and  the  mail  plane  from the 1930’s  shows  a  pictorial  history  of  the  area.  This  all  had  a  profound  effect  of  this  group of  artists and  is  reflected  in  the  artworks  produced.    The  exhibition  ‘Kakadu’  opens  6pm  September  1st,  with  some  of  the  participating  artists  in  attendance.  An  Artist  Talk  will  be  held  in  the  gallery  on  Saturday  Sept  2nd  from  2pm.  The  exhibition  is  showing  at  Mitchell  Fine  Art,  86  Arthur  St  Fortitude  Valley,  Brisbane  from August 30th  until  September  23rd.   The  gallery  can  be  followed  on  Facebook  or  Instagram  or  sign  up  to  the  gallery's  mailing  list via  the website.   To  view  all  works  in  the  exhibition  online  visit  www.mitchellfineartgallery.com.     For   media   enquiries,   interviews   and   high   resolution   images   please   email  gallery@mitchellfineartgallery.com  or  phone  (07)  3254  2297.