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Hilary Herrmann

For me, painting is storytelling, communication between myself and the world. Far, Far Away is inspired by the magic, historical weight and universality of fairytales. For these works, fairytales marked a starting point to be hybridised into my own language. My works hold these tight tales of morality at their centre, and spiral from there. I find the gossamer slippage between worlds, where these pervasive tales can comment upon my private world. A collision of domains where boundaries of good and evil and of right from wrong are harder to discern.

Fairytales compel us and transport us into imaginary realms. They take us along winding roads, into dark woods, to castles, to distant seas, through boundless skies. There are witches, goblins, kings and queens, baying beasts. Magical worlds, filled with heroics and cowardice, metamorphosis, problem solving, fear of the unknown, greed, humility, empathy, kindness. The invisible and the forgotten are throned and crowned, the humble are rewarded with wealth and happiness, evil is stymied by virtue. Yet, the menace of evil lurks, threaded into the storytelling; envy, malice and lust bubbling beneath the surface.

Fairytales have been interpreted and reinterpreted endlessly. This is my interpretation. Scanning over reading of feminism to psychoanalysis to childhood memories, I find gentleness and ethereality amongst bloodlust. Fairytales are a compelling source of rich, diverse material; they intrigue us, entertain us, comfort us to sleep, scare us to check under our beds. They offer a visual palette that is full of enchantment and menace; an inexplicable and enthralling combination which resounds with my own storytelling and allows me voice for communication.

 

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Biography

 

I live on a rural property in the hinterland of Byron Bay, surrounded by beautiful countryside; the landscape is lush and evergreen, amongst undulating hills.

There is a network of community and friends, which are a wonderful mixture of miscreants and misfits. They colour my world. My teenage daughter reminds me of a character out of a Gabrielle Garcia Marquez’ novel and I often feel the need to stop her from floating into the skies. There is a Brahman bull, Angus cattle, neurotic dogs, bad tempered ducks and a forgotten garden, a sad and lonely chook yard, one too many battles with the crafty foxes. All on the to do list.

I like to paint. Stepping over the cobwebs and chewed up dog bones, I paint on my verandah looking out at this curious world.

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Curriculum Vitae

                                                                                                                              

          1978- Bachelor of Teaching degree

          1983 -87- Paper Conservator Art Gallery NSW, Australia

          2003- Fine Art Degree, Southern Cross University, Lismore NSW

          2006- TAFE Lismore, Certificate 2

          2007- TAFE Lismore, Certificate 3

       

Solo Exhibitions

 

          2008- Creatures, Cape Gallery Byron Bay Australia

          2008- 16 angels around my bed, Art Piece Gallery, Mullumbimby NSW Australia

          2010- Unwanted Embrace, Sheahan Gallery, Woollongong

          2010- Before I Sleep, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, Coffs Harbour Australia

          2013- Thoughts away from home, Gillian Grant gallery, Melbourne

          2013 Celebrations, Art piece Gallery, Mullumbimby

          2014 Ballina Regional gallery, Of other realms, Ballina

          2014 Gallery 307 In the absence of certainty

          2016 Lismore Regional gallery The Voyage

          2016 Flowers Ballina Regional gallery

          2017 nostalgic dialogue Art piece Gallery

 

Group Exhibitions

 

          2006- Emerging Artists, Artpiece Gallery, Mullumbimby

          2006- Coraki art prize, Platypus Gallery, Casino

          2006- Waywood Gallery, Byron Bay

          2007- Artpiece Gallery, Mullumbimby

          2007- Berkelow Gallery, Eumundi

          2007- Barratt Gallery, Astonville

          2007- The Cape Gallery, Byron Bay

          2008- Language of the Unspoken, Barratt Gallery Astonville

          2008- Shubert Gallery, Gold coast

          2009- Celebration, Artpiece Gallery, Mullumbimby

          2010- Portrait prize, Lismore Regional Gallery

          2010- Once Upon A Time, Retrospect Gallery, Byron Bay

          2010- Art Sydney Affordable Art Fair, Sydney

          2010- Christmas Show, Edwina Collette Gallery, Brisbane

          2010- Chrismas Show, Gallery 307, Sydney

          2011- Drawn Forth, Retrospect Gallery Byron Bay

          2011- Dirt Road Blues, Retrospect Gallery Byron Bay

          2011- Art Melbourne, Retrospect Gallery Byron Bay

          2011- Selected Portrait, Lismore Regional Art Gallery, Lismore

          2011- Ground Cover, Gilligan Grant. Melbourne

          2011- Drawn Together, Retrospect Gallery Byron Bay

          2011- Art Singapore, Retrospect Galley, Byron Bay

          2011- Christmas show, Edwina Collette Gallery, Brisbane

          2012- Drawn forth, Lismore Regional Gallery, Lismore

          2013Christmas show Retrospect Gallery ,Byron Bay

          2013- Art for Children’s Spaces, Gallery 307, Sydney

          2014Christmas show Retrospect Gallery ,Byron Bay

          2015Christmas show Retrospect Gallery ,Byron Bay

          2015 Garden show Art piece Gallery ,Mullumbimby

          2015Art ShowArt Space, Newrybah

          2016  Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Retrospect Gallery Byron Bay

          2016     Ballina Airport

 

 Awards

 

          2007- Highly commended Coraki Art Award

          2007- Second Prize Southern Cross Art Award

          2009- Blake finalist, Director’s Cut

          2008- Finalist Portia Geach Memorial Award S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney Australia

          2010- Winner Postcard Exhibition, Mullumbimby, NSW Australia

          2012- Finalist Wilson Visual Art Award, Lismore NSW Australia

          2012- Finalist Portia Geach Memorial Award S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney Australia

          2012- Finalist Heartbeat, Ballina Regional galley

          2012- Finalist Portrait prize, Lismore Regional Gallery

          2013- Finalist Portrait prize, Lismore Regional Gallery

          2015 Finalist Portrait prize, Lismore Regional Gallery

          2015 ,1st painting Coraki Art show

          2017 finalist, Manning Art Prize

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