More Alchemy, More Play - Opens Tonight!

Thistle Hall is a vibrant community centre in the heart of New Zealand's cultural capital. We provide a community hall, meeting room and Wellington's only community gallery showcasing a range of artists and crafts people, from the established to the emerging. Thistle Hall is located on the corner of Cuba and Arthur streets. The shows on at Thistle Hall Community Gallery are run by the artists who hire it.

On Now
24 - 30 AUGUST 2009

MORE ALCHEMY, MORE PLAY
Graeme Thompson

Opening 5.30pm Monday 24 August.
Exhibition open Tuesday - Friday 12.30 - 7.00pm, Saturday - Sunday 10.00am - 7.00pm or by appointment -
phone 021 032-7550.

Graeme Thompson returns to Thistle Hall Gallery for his second solo show of found-object and toy-based assemblage and sculpture, a follow-on to his ‘The Alchemy of Play’ last June.

"This is the first time, in a long time, I have left an exhibition gallery feeling enchanted."
('The Alchemy of Play' viewer comment)

Heavily influenced by Jungian psychology, especially Jung's work on alchemy, Graeme again explores play as a metaphor for art, the search for meaning, and the nature of reality.

His works feature a deeply entertaining and mordant wit that plunges into the depths of the metaphysical, absurdist and surrealist possibilities of toys and play.

Featuring in the exhibition will be more works from his popular 'The Aristocrats' series of porcelain figurines of amputee 18th Century nobility with robotic limbs and prosthetic weapons of mass destruction, that return in all their gaudy and sinister glory (Hurrah!).

Also featuring is the premiere work - 'Words Don't Come Easy' - in a new series about language, communication, representation, and meaning. Just how many Scrabble sets does this man have, anyway?

Plus, more absurdist and surrealist assemblage and sculpture to amuse, entertain and provoke, than the viewer can shake a rubber mongoose at... unless they already have a rubber mongoose... in which case a concrete banana will do just as well.

Up Next
31 AUGUST - 6 SEPTEMBER 2009

Little Ladies Presents...
HOME SWEET HOME
Paintings by Anmea Hoskin

Opening 7.00pm Monday 31 August, then open daily 10.00am - 4.00pm Tuesday 1 - Sunday 6 September.

New paintings by Anmea Hoskin celebrating the Domestic Goddess from the 1940s, 50s and 60s. From beautiful doe-eyed, apron-wearing housewives, to their little girls in party dresses playing musical chairs. This exhibition is a collection of works from the last year, very much inspired by vintage dressmaking illustrations.

Also available: Little Ladies Tiles - reproductions of Anmea's original paintings onto quality ceramic tiles, wrapped in hand-made wallpaper envelopes.

Come along to the opening night to sample goodies provided by Martha's Pantry, Listen to the sounds of Wellington's finest Gentleman's group The Canapés, drink bubbly poured from teapots, and celebrate the good old days.

To view some of Anmea's tiles, please visit www.littleladies.co.nz

Please see http://www.thistlehall.org.nz for more information

ENDS

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