Lisa Chandler – ‘Artist Goes Wild’: Quiet Dog Gallery
Lisa Chandler
‘Artist Goes Wild’
26 October – 23 November 2024
Quiet Dog Gallery, 33 Wakatu Lane, Nelson
Opens on 25 October at 5.30pm – all welcome
Artist Talk: 2pm on Saturday 2 November
The concept behind Lisa Chandler’s upcoming exhibition ‘Artist Goes Wild’ stems from her concern for the planet, and her love of gardening and nature. This new body of work will be a joyous celebration of nature, but will also highlight a serious environmental message: the critical importance of greener and wilder spaces, especially in urban areas.
In late 2022 Chandler was fortunate to experience the uninhabited Galápagos Islands. At dawn on the final day, she visited one last unspoilt island before flying to Guayaquil, a city of 2.6 million. The dirty brown river, smoky old cars and mountains of plastic rubbish struck Chandler; the pollution was a stark and demoralising contrast to the Galápagos, and irrefutable evidence of humankind’s effect on the planet. As witness to such destruction, she was compelled to make a personal difference.
Shortly after her return, Chandler bought a 7700sqm section in Tasman and began to research how a small plot of land could support wildlife and increase biodiversity. This led her to the ‘wilding’ or ‘naturalistic gardening’ movement and the creation of this new series. In Artist Goes Wild, Chandler makes the conscious decision to create artworks that celebrate nature and highlight its uninhibited joy. But the paintings also communicate a message: greener, wilder spaces, especially in urban areas, are of critical importance. The artworks explore the tenacity of nature growing in concrete jungles; the cooling effect of tree shade; nature in small spaces; and the inherent beauty of natural decay.
5% of every artwork sold will be donated to the national Trees That Count programme and Chandler’s Artist Goes Wild tree registry will support tree planting projects in her home region of Tasman. For example, three trees will be donated for every $500 artwork sold, and 30 trees for a $6000 artwork. You can also support her tree registry without buying an artwork by donating a tree on her online page: $10 will gift one tree. Alongside raising money for local tree planting projects, Chandler’s aim for this exhibition is to encourage visitors to green up their own urban spaces. “Even a small action can offer us a sense of hope in these troubling times,” she says.
Chandler’s aim for this exhibition is to encourage visitors to include more ‘green’ in their own spaces to support local plants and wildlife, saying “it’s the small things that count”, and “that action can offer us a sense of hope in these troubling times”. Artworks will explore the tenacity of nature growing in concrete jungles: the cooling effect of shade from trees; nature in small spaces and the importance of wild and diverse spaces.
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