Glen Rock Gallery May: Nerida Black and Grace Galligan

The two artists may be aunt and niece, but their art and how they approach it couldn’t be further apart!

Coming into Glen Rock Gallery, you will be forgiven for stepping back as the image of the larger-than-life Capoeirista appears to jump off the canvas towards you. Nerida’s work presents a progression from painting in acrylics through to embracing spray cans, photography and the digital enhancement of images. She pays homage to Capoeira in several paintings. She practiced the Brazilian martial art, which combines elements of dancing, acrobatic and music, for 10 years.  Also inspired by Brazilian culture is “Yemanjá” the Candomble Goddess worshipped in Salvador, Brazil, annually as the protector of oceans and fishermen.

The two “Tribal” pieces show her deviation from realistic subject matter in the use of spray cans. She recently branched into exploring tattoos – already on skins. Taking close-ups of small sections of this body art and digitally enhancing them, she creates interesting textural effects from the underlying skin and hair. “Tattoo+Water” allowed her to view her own tattoo, distorted through the play of light and water.

Grace Galligan is Nerida Black’s niece. Her living area is her studio, with all her art supplies set of to allow the ease of random moments of inspiration to make its way onto a canvas. This, her first exhibition shows her exuberant fearlessness, with works as varied as the single line “Elephant 1” to the deeply textured “Life” and including happy, colourful paintings of dogs, no doubt inspired by Grace’s best mate “Doza”. It is interesting to see this smorgasbord of colours, subjects and styles as she explores her moments of inspiration with such vibrancy.

The exhibition will continue until May 31.