Tweed Regional Gallery, Media Release, 15 October 2021
This exhibition tells the story of mentorship, art and friendship between Margaret Olley (1923–2011) and Ben Quilty (b.1973), two of Australia’s most celebrated artists.
At Home is a sublime collection of recent still life paintings by Ben Quilty alongside still lifes and interiors by Margaret Olley, from the latter half of her extraordinary career.
Our new, post-COVID world inadvertently offered a context for the making of work by Quilty that finds synergy with Olley’s dedication to painting still life. During the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown Quilty turned to ordinary objects as subject matter for painting – something Olley did for many decades in her own Duxford Street home studio.
At Home brings their work together to reflect on the everyday as subject matter for painting and as a humble vehicle for the contemplation of humanity.
The Margaret Olley Estate is represented by Philip Bacon Galleries (Brisbane). Ben Quilty is represented by Jan Murphy Gallery (Brisbane) and Tolarno Galleries (Melbourne).
Saturday 13 November 2021 to Sunday 20 February 2022, The Margaret Olley Art Centre
