WILSONS AT ROBE: in the Limestone Coast Region of South Australia
It's a town steeped in history. Above the harbour stands the old Customs House, built in 1847 soon after Robe was declared a port. And not far away a monument to the sixteen thousand Chinese who landed here and walked two hundred miles to the Victorian gold fields in search of fortune. Over the years, many have made their way to the shores of idyllic Guichen Bay, including Nancy and Terry Johnson who first stumbled on this seaside retreat in the 1980's. They too were captivated by the milky blue of its peaceful waters, and the town's ever present nautical references like the Flinders monument commemorating the achievements of a famous navigator and the nearby Star of the Sea Church.
Perhaps it provides inspiration for some of the more quirky pieces painted by Terry at his gallery, Wilson's at Robe - in the main street of town. Like his suite of paintings featuring Nuns and Chooks.
"A lot of people think they're Mother Mary MacKillop but they're not. When I was exhibiting at a gallery in Victoria called the Convent Gallery, they have the most wonderful chapel there that the gallery leads into. And I thought …gee, a few nuns wouldn't go astray here".
"OK, and the nuns in the boat, what's the story here?"
"That's crossing holy water, and when I was doing that painting, somehow I had to tie in all these chook paintings with my nuns and when you look at the painting, you'll see the nuns are being actually guided by a chook".
It's fair to say that while this former school teacher from Ohio is serious about his art, he certainly has no high brow pretensions. His work is meant to be colourful and fun, just like the town he's made home. In the dappled light of the gallery's courtyard, the brush sweeps across the canvas in a profusion of colour and with Guichen Bay never far away from his thoughts, much of his work like the gallery itself, is a tribute to all things maritime.
"This is for a family in town whose name is tidy, and I call it a tidy catch…..uhmm I've been to their house and it's going over the kitchen breakfast bar and each of these fish is caught by a member of the family. The biggest fish is of course caught by the father who commissioned the painting".
"And then there's various family members who each caught a fish, and I've just got Gramps. I'm not sure if he's a crabby person but at any rate, Gramp's fish has been well taken by the crab".
"Certainly looks a tad older there"
"Perhaps"
So this is bound for a colourful beach-house, and so too probably is much of the other work here. From the lighthouse and the seahorse, carved in local limestone, to the seascapes in linocut by Christine Macarthy and the maritime themes of Margo Miles with boats moored at Robe Harbor. They're all part of Wilson's at Robe in Victoria Street. Terry's work will also be on show at Tomlinson's Fine Art Gallery in Leigh Street in the City. Friday 10.00am to 5.00pm and Saturday 10.00am to 1.00pm. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards.sa.com.au
