Jonathan Cooper will give a floor talk at Manning Regional Art Gallery this Saturday on the current Jocelyn Maughan exhibition, 'Inspirations: Black Head to Patonga'.
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He’s the curator of the show and also a long-time friend of hers.
With a lifetime passion for observing humanity, "Inspirations" is a snapshot of Jocelyn’s career, and includes drawings, paintings and printmaking inspired by these seaside communities.
Jonathan was trained in art education at Alexander Mackie College of Advanced Education (now University of NSW: Art and Design).
“For most of my career I worked at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, as an educator, then head of education programs and website manager.
“In 2013, I left the gallery to become a freelance writer, lecturer and curator. Since 1994, I have lived in Green Point on the Central Coast.”
He has known Jocelyn since the 1990s, meeting through their mutual friend, the artist Robin Norling (1939–2017).
“From 2000 on I have been a frequent visitor to their shared gallery and studio in Patonga and a fellow member of a local life drawing group. I have also worked with them both by helping with their recent exhibitions (including curating Jocelyn’s current exhibition in Taree) and managing their personal websites.”
With sketchbook in hand, Jocelyn’s studio could be a beach, train, building site, concert or local jetty.
Two of her favourite environments have been Black Head and Patonga on the Central Coast.
Jocelyn’s art is not just plain observation; every work demonstrates her commitment to composition, in particular selection, emphasis and rhythm.
Whether it is a lino print, a tempera panel for a mural or an oil painting, the energy of the work often starts using the grisaille method, used in past times by artists Rubens and van Dyck.
Thin black paint on a slippery, non-absorbent ground translates to broad, bold generalisations and juxtapositions.
The floor talk is on at 11am this Saturday, March 10, at Manning Regional Art Gallery.