A landmark exhibition by a local artist who has travelled from the medinas of Morroco to the canefields of the north coast is on display at Tweed Regional Gallery from today.
Land Marks: Here and There by local Stokers Siding artist Scott McDougall reflects and contrasts his great travels abroad and his new home here in the Tweed Valley.
‘Covering thousands of kilometres on foot, I have slogged my way through the Barrios of Spain, the medinas of Morroco and across provinces of Cuba and Vietnam,’ he said.
‘The colours and textures of the man-made intrigue me; it’s the crumbling render, faded pigments and the building’s scar tissue that stands witness to moments in time and history.
McDougall said he has childhood memories of spending holidays exploring dairy farms and banana plantations with his grandparents, who lived in Tweed Heads.
‘Since my move north, I am now confronted with a very different landscape, swathes of cane fields, rolling hills and mountain ranges,’ he said.
‘In the past I have focused on smaller details of the man-made city environment and here, I am confronted with the huge expanse of rolling ranges of the Tweed Valley.’
Gallery Director Susi Muddiman said Scott McDougall’s work is well represented in collections throughout Australia and internationally.
‘Scott recently relocated to a new home and studio in the village of Stokers Siding, following family connections on his mother’s side who settled in Tumbulgum in the 1800s,’ Ms Muddiman said.
‘Prior to this he travelled extensively, held over 30 solo exhibitions across most Australian states and experienced immediate success in 1979 when a major work from his first exhibition in Brisbane was purchased by the Queensland Art Gallery.’
McDougall studied under the tutorship of notable arts figures such as William Robinson and the late Betty Churcher AO and said his work reflects his passion for colour, texture and formal composition.
All are welcome to join Scott McDougall in the Gallery foyer on Sunday 28 June from 10.30am until 12.30pm, while he works on a new painting and discusses his techniques and inspiration.
Land Marks: Here and There by Scott McDougall
Tweed Regional Gallery
Friday 29 May to Sunday 2 August 2015
