28 September - 16 October 2006
about the exhibition
Madeleine Winch is known as a painter of bold, colourful and figurative works which emerge from a synthesis of memory, impressions from recent travels, intimate emotions and feminine sensibilities. With this new series of work, Madeleine uses the printmaking form of the collagraph to present interpretations of her many travels in the Greek islands. “I spent four separate sojourns in Greece, the most memorable being a full year living on the Cycladic island of Paros, with my husband and young daughter. It was an idyllic life, living in a 300 year old whitewashed stone farmhouse on an ancient vineyard overlooking the crystal blue Aegean Sea. It was a life changing experience. These times have returned very strongly to my focus in reading of the life of Charmian Clift, the well known Australian writer who spent many years in the Greek islands with her writer husband George Johnstone and their young family, and wrote very colourfully of the local customs, people and way of life. It was a highly creative period for us, and like Charmian and George, we were dependent on the irregular and sparse pay cheques from Australia for the sale of our artwork, in order to extend our sojourn in paradise”.
Madeleine has been exhibiting successfully for many years both nationally and internationally. Her work has been hung in a number of major award exhibitions, including the Dobell and Sulman Prizes at the Art Gallery of NSW. Her paintings have been selected for the Portia Geach Memorial Award receiving the Highly Commended (1996), Viewer’s Choice (1996 and 1997), and Commended (1997) awards. Madeleine has authored and illustrated a number of children’s books, including “Come by Chance”. Madeleine’s work is represented in the collections of regional galleries throughout NSW including Wagga Wagga, Orange, New England and Dubbo.
