5 - 22 March 2020
about the exhibition
Lucy Culliton’s paintings are inspired by her country life at Bibbenluke, in the Monaro district of NSW. Her home, surrounding garden, and many animal friends – mostly rescued – often form the subject matter for her vibrant and luscious paintings. Bibbenluke Spring comprises mainly still life paintings of her homegrown spring flowers in favourite bottles and vases, often placed on pieces from her collection of doilies and hand-embroidered cloths. There is a refreshing honesty and directness to her work. “If I’m painting red sauce, I want it to look like red sauce. If I’m painting a flower, I want people to see that it’s a peony, not a rose. It has to look right,” she says. Art critic John McDonald describes her as “…that rare phenomenon: a natural painter. She proceeds from instinct, choosing her subject matter spontaneously, never letting go of a motif until she has exhausted every option.” A joyful observer of her surroundings, Lucy offers the viewer a personal glimpse into her world and her artistic impulses as her paintings alternate between bursts of vibrant blooms overflowing theatrically from antique vases to sparer, contemplative arrangements such as a line of single white peonies or a simple bunch of snowdrops.
Lucy studied fine art at the National Art School, graduating in 1996. She has had an extensive exhibiting career with many group and solo exhibitions and was the subject of a major survey show in the Mosman Art Gallery in 2014. In 2016, her delightful animal portraits were included in ‘The Popular Pet Show’ curated by Dr Sarah Engledow at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. Winner of the Portia Geach Memorial Award in 2006, Lucy is also a regular finalist in the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes at the Art Gallery of NSW. In 2016, she was announced as a finalist in all three prizes and, in 2017, in both the Wynne and Archibald Prizes. Lucy’s work is represented in many collections including the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of NSW and Parliament House, Canberra.
