Wendy Loefler | Elsewhere
Escape into the vast desert space in Wendy Loefler’s upcoming exhibition Elsewhere.
An artist who has devoted most of her practice wandering the desert spaces of the Australian outback, Wendy Loefler is most at home in these arid regions. Born in South Africa and emigrating to in Australia in 1976, her awareness of scale and space can be attributed to her time spent in these two vast countries.
Presenting her signature large charcoal works, Loefler manages to carefully balance a sense of the encompassing sky of the landscape with the details of the plant minutiae that make up these remote places. Her attention to detail – depicting the varied plant life – reveals an ecology within the desert environment of rock and sand that most people aren’t aware of. Titles such as Dune Garden at Eyre Creek hint to the artists generous perspective of the desert landscapes, rather than seen as negative or arid, the tile suggests that they share a sense of plentiful beauty that ‘gardens’ represent.
Promising to immerse the viewer, Elsewhere – both the title of the exhibition and the major work of the show – is 26 meters wide, wrapping in 12 panels around the space of the gallery. The result is a 360 degree view of the desert, this panoramic epic is a generous insight into the scale and scope of the desert landscape from Loefler’s personal experience.
Tonally restricted, the absence of colour reveals Loefler’s keen focus on tone – playing with shadows, depth and form to depict dynamic landscapes for the eye to travel through. The contrast of black and white parallel the extremes of the desert – where life and death – drought or floods – are harsh realities of everyday life.
From Dwarf Well in the Gibson Desert to the rocky terrain of Balgo and into the seemingly never-ending landscape of Elsewhere, Loefler invites the viewer on an intriguing journey into the outback of Australia. Look forward to a sense of romanticism in her wanderings, finding beauty in a landscape that most will not have the chance to visit.
EXHIBITION
Wendy Loefler | Elsewhere
16 May – 4 June 2017
Australian Galleries, Melbourne
Courtesy the artist and Australian Galleries, Melbourne.
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