For those who enjoy quirky, original art spaces with lots of character, Tiny Tree Gallery is a hidden Brisbane treasure. Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending an opening night for a solo exhibition of Cameron Seymour’s art, titled “Near and far,” and an exhibit bringing together the innovative thinking of Jeoffrey Schweitzer (“He lets the stars be his guide”) and Robin Green (“In the balance”).
Cameron Seymour’s approach relishes in the relationship between colour and line. The beautiful combination of the brightness and the colours of the natural world spring forth as silhouettes of flowers pushing their way through towards us from the canvas. Stylised and imaginative landscapes seem to have jumped off the pages of some fantasy book, yet they feel homely and strangely familiar at the same time. Seymour’s ability to manipulate colour combinations brings to us a world of magical art, warm and welcoming, which at the same time challenging out perception of the world, and leaving us thinking about the shapes, the colours of life around us. Even the name of this exhibition, “Near and far,” is a reflection of the style utilised by the artist. The allusive painting style – particularly in his floral depictions – creates a sense of optical distortion which comes with viewing an image through rain or thick glass. Haunting, yet portrayed with such beautiful sensitivity – you will never tire of looking at these paintings!
Jeoffrey Schweitzer’s “He lets the stars be his guide” is a collection of small works that are created using unexpected combinations of surfaces and framing techniques. Tiny scale artworks featuring incredible attention to detail are uniquely framed by attaching the painted wood panels onto larger panels to create a surround. The small size of Schweitzer’s paintings on paper, surrounded by spacious watercolour framing gives the images the feel of a Scandinavian fairy-tale, inviting us into a tiny, mysterious world full of extraordinary possibilities.
Schweitzer’s works are displayed in conjunction with Robin Greer’s “In the balance,” which features small paintings and sculptures, which juxtaposition the banal of the everyday against the surprising new ways of looking at the familiar. Collages of images that, at first glance, do not have anything in common, evoke stories in the mind of the viewer and fuel our imagination. With titles like “80 is the new 70,” “We,” and “Kinetic,” Greer gives the viewer enough space to exercise their imagination, leaving them with a sense of space, movement and time.
The exhibition runs until the 10th December at Tiny Tree Gallery, 420 Cavendish Rd, Coorparoo.