10 – 27 November 2016
about the exhibition
Lucy Culliton’s paintings are inspired by country life on her property in the Monaro district of NSW. “I moved down here with 2 dogs, 4 horses, and 11 pigeons. That winter I got 2 poddy lambs from a neighbour which was the start of my ever growing family of rescued and unwanted animals. There are now 42 sheep, 6 horses, 3 cows, a pig, 4 dogs, chooks, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, pigeons, emus and a large aviary which houses 7 old cockys.” It is these animals that have inspired this wonderful exhibition. Lucy’s animals stare back at you, as if defying you to imagine that they represent something more than what they appear to be – a sheep, goat, chook etc. She wants you to see the individuality in her animals, how handsome or beautiful each one is. The works are rich in colour and the surfaces built up with carefully considered textural brushstrokes. An astute observer of the familiar and seemingly insignificant, Lucy offers the viewer an incisive but caring and often quirky view of the world around her. While looking at the exhibition, Lucy asks you to “enjoy my menagerie, go home and give your dog or cat a pat from me.”
Lucy studied fine art at the National Art School, graduating in 1996. 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. Her work is represented in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of NSW and Parliament House, Canberra. This is Lucy’s first exhibition with Beaver Galleries as well as being her first in Canberra. Her work is included in the current exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, ‘The Popular Pet show’, curated by Dr Sarah Engledow.