Feb 7.50pm Gunnamatta by Andrew Hives, White Clouds Drifting by Andrea Verstegen & Gaia Series by Natasha Chant
About the artists
Andrew Hives
Hives has a Graduate Certificate in Emergency Management and holds certificates as a Workplace Trainer and Fitness Instructor. He has completed several short courses in photography and for many years has enjoyed photography as a hobby, with rewarding commercial ventures into wedding photography. Now, upon retirement he has the time to delve deeper into making images that express his interest in photographing people and nature.
Hives’ love of beaches and the ocean commenced from about five years of age, when his father regularly took him surf-fishing to Kilcunda. The seascapes presented in this exhibition utilise the technique of ‘intentional camera movement’ (ICM), where the camera is deliberately moved during the exposure. The technique allows the photographer to intentionally present an abstract view of a scene. The speed of the camera movement and the duration of the exposure, allow for artistic control over the image. A single photographic image captures a moment in time; yet the intention of using this technique, is to convey a sense of movement of the ocean and the interplay with sunlight on its surface.
Andrea Verstegen
The natural world is continually evolving. Similarly, I find it necessary to create as a means of expressing the joy I feel when surrounded by the natural environment - to explore new paths, to freshen the outlook, to discover and learn during this journey in life.
I enjoy working with a range of mediums - from recycled materials through to acrylic and gouache paints and am energised through the process of manipulating and playing with unexpected and humble materials. Playing with shape, colour, and line, I produce abstracted images whose origins originate in expressionist land and seascapes. May aim is to simplify, suggest and economise as I feel necessary to achieve a harmonious composition - one which allows the viewer some space for the imagination.
I am interested in and constantly reference the natural world and the associated impact of climate change. An interest in meteorology has recently seen me observing cloud structure and formation of which is evident in my latest work.
Natasha Chant
Natasha Chant is an early-career Ceramic Artist based in Melbourne. Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) Object Based Practice, from RMIT University in 2015, Natasha creates sculptures celebrating form, minimalism, and monumentality.
Following the tumultuous years of 2020 and 2021, Natasha debuted a new collection of work to great success at the Warrandyte Pottery Expo in February of 2022. Her Gaia series, Standing Stones and one-off pieces continue to generate a great deal of intrigue and conversation.
Natasha has exhibited with Craft Victoria, Stonehouse Gallery, Trades Halls Melbourne, Collingwood Gallery, Union Bank Art Studio Clunes, and the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery in Queensland. Most recently Natasha has been chosen as a finalist in both the 2022 North Queensland Ceramic Award and the 2022 Clunes Ceramic Award.