Exhibitions — Winsome Spiller Art

Current exhibitions

March 8 - 29 , 2025 - Winsome Spiller - “Untessellations”

Opening reception 2-4pm Saturday 8th March.

Exhibition continues to 29th March Weds’s - Sat’s 11am - 4pm

At West End Art Space gallery, 110 Adderley Street, West Melbourne VIC 3003

gallery details at www.westendartspace.com.au

Tessellating means decorating or covering (a surface) with a pattern of repeated shapes that fit together closely without gaps or overlapping. The assembled shapes and the join lines dividing them, can combine to make a larger geometric design that is predetermined.

The works in “Untessellations”, on the other hand, depict arrangements of irregular, diverse sized shapes which cannot tessellate into such an underlying design. But they still assume a beautiful form when grouped together in looser, more playful arrangements. There, the space between the shapes becomes very important, and is perceived as an object in itself.

I began the “Untessellations” works after accidentally making many small plaster blocks, while trying to create a solid block of plaster from a sheet of honeycomb cardboard. Like doing a never resolvable puzzle, I tried different ways to arrange the small blocks into a whole, playing with their shapes and the spaces between them. I saw that they could also become the basis for a series of works in other media.

So I went on to make works in plaster, plastic, paper, silicone, and paint on canvas - 15 of which comprise this exhibition. I used one work as the start of another, translated forms across materials, and tried different processes - from casting, cutting, tracing, transfer and rubbing, to throwing powdered gouache onto canvas. Besides my liking for process, experiment and materiality, the works continue some of my long-held interests - urban form; organic natural processes; archaeology; and making images from fragments.

MINIMAL: Less is More, Nothing is Something, At JAHM the Justin House Museum - until October 2025

Two of my works have been included in this survey of abstract art.

Details at the JAHM website www.jahm.com.au

Recent exhibitions

July 16-27 , 2024 - “Works in Progress”

solo exhibition of selected current works in progress

at Parslow Street Studios Gallery, 1st floor, 1 Parslow Street Clifton Hill

“Works in Progress” gathered paintings and objects being made in my long running project “Untessellations” into an exhibition held at the Parslow Street Studios gallery. This setting enabled a site specific hang using the furniture and spaces of a historic industrial building which has been converted to artists’ studios and common recreation spaces. Soaring ceiling heights, lower partition walls and diverse floorplan enabled both a celebration with friends and supporters, and the opportunity to see how the works in progress could be curated and further developed for a future exhibition,

all images copyright to Winsome Spiller, 2024

June 15 – July 6 2024 “Stockroom Showcase: small works”

selected works in a group exhibition of gallery artists.

at West End Art Space gallery, 112 Adderley Street West Melbourne Victoria 3003, Australia

April 20 - May 11 2024 - “Cut and Compose” at West End Art Space Gallery

selected works in a group exhibition of collage artists

at West End Art Space gallery, 112 Adderley Street West Melbourne Victoria 3003, Australia

gallery website www.westendartspace.com.au

Artist’s notes, on the “ Writing” page of this website

January 2024 - “Summer Stockroom Showcase” at West End Art Space gallery, 17-24 January 2024

selected works included in a group exhibition of gallery artists

December 2023 - Winsome Spiller “Transfigure” at West End Art Space gallery,
6 - 21 December 2023

gallery website www.westendartspace.com.au

Catalogue can be viewed on West End Art Space gallery’s website

Address:

West End Art Space gallery

112 Adderley Street, West Melbourne Victoria 3003, Australia

Hours:

Wed: 11:00am - 4:00pm
Thu: 11:00 am – 4:00pm
Fri: 11:00 am – 4:00pm
Sat: 11:00 am – 4:00pm

Call: 0415243917

installation images copyright to Winsome Spiller

TRANSFIGURE includes fourteen paintings, of large and small scale, from a very large acrylic work on unstretched canvas, down to smaller abstracts in mixed media on board. on acrylic on canvas, and small made in various materials

TRANSFIGURE expresses my aim and processes in these works: to transform materials, marks and forms into more beautiful and interesting paintings and objects. They reflect the diverse processes used to make them, and seek to be true to their materials.

read full artist’s notes (also available at the gallery)

read curatorial notes about Winsome Spiller practice and the exhibition (also available at the gallery)

February 2023 - Winsome Spiller “Paintscapes” at West End Art Space, West Melbourne

gallery website www.westendartspace.com.au

View the catalogue on West End Art Space gallery’s website

Address:

West End Art Space
112 Adderley Street,
West Melbourne Victoria 3003,
Australia

Hours:

Wed: 11:00am - 4:00pm
Thu: 11:00 am – 4:00pm
Fri: 11:00 am – 4:00pm
Sat: 11:00 am – 4:00pm

Call: 0415243917

Of Colour and Light, the West End Art Space biennial October 20 - November 19, 2022

West End Art Space gallery, West Melbourne

This biennial group exhibition celebrates the work of women abstract artists and in 2022 more than 30 artists were represented.

“Yellow Floating on Blue”, a painting in acrylic on canvas, 297cm H x 92cm W was sold by the gallery.

details of the exhibition can be found at the gallery website

https://westendartspace.com.au/exhibitions_detailscategory/past/

Archaeology of Practice 2, red gallery North Fitzroy 26 September - 14 October 2018
artist talk 2 pm, sunday 14 october

red Gallery, 157 St Georges Road Fitzroy North is open Thursday to Sunday.
Opening hours Thurs and Fri 11am -6 pm, Sat and Sun 12 -5-pm

details of exhibition and gallery at http://redgallery.com.au/26-september-14-october-winsome-spiller-archaeology-of-practice-2/
gallery info is at www.redgallery.com.au

invitation to the artist talk at https://www.facebook.com/events/2177082072514023/

All works now available, contact winsome.spiller@gmail.com

About the exhibition
“Archaeology of practice 2” presents some works that have taken shape slowly.

Besides two paintings referencing archaeological images, the works include a monoprint on unstretched canvas which started its life as marks of objects placed on a drop-sheet, a paper-maché object remade from paper related to my art studies, a painting in pinkysil silicone, paintings partly made from paint tubes and dried paint, a small wall shrine of painted mylar (Space blanket), an installation reminiscent of fragmented ancient wall tiles, and a walk-in fabric room whose walls are embedded with paint from the making of previous paintings and paint experiments. There’s also a table of small experimental objects and fragments which I make and keep as a vital part of my art practice. .

I light-heartedly liken this sort of making to archaeology, in that I have collected objects, fragments and traces of artefacts from my past practice, considering their materials, colours and forms, reinterpreting, reassembling or connecting their parts to make new visual meanings, and displaying the new objects in a gallery.

This body of work was also influenced by my fascination with the fragmentary and the ruin, the material properties and forms of paint, plaster, paper,silicone, the works of Piranesi, and my travels in Italy where the forms and materials of past are revealed, clearly embedded amongst the contemporary built fabric.

Archaeology now has mass appeal, with television shows capturing the excitement of finding fragmentary evidence of cultural activity from the past, and reconstructing meanings from the found objects. I hope visitors might enjoy imaginatively reconstructing something about my practice, from this exhibition.

Winsome Spiller, 2018

Selected Installation images

Selected Past Exhibitions

Paper Cutz, red gallery, North Fitzroy

Several works in a group exhibition running from July 5 to July 22.
Red Gallery open Thursdays and Fridays 11 am - 6 pm, Saturdays and Sundays 12 pm - 5 pm
157 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North
details of exhibition at http://redgallery.com.au/05-july-22-july-papercutz-group-show-3/

My works in the exhibition, are all made using paper in various forms. They range from collaged linocuts on board, through paint on paper, to painted papermaché objects hand made from paper items used in my art practice.

Prices are as shown below.

Images of works

Homage to theory, 2017. Paper maché made from art theory course outline, acrylic paint, epoxy glue.. 26cm h x 26cm w x 5cm deep

Art mag topography, 2017. Paper maché made from art magazines, PVA glue, muslin. Dimensions including muslin 90cm h x 45cm w x 2.5cm deep.

Ebb: search for Sydney galleries, 2017. Fragmented art guide map collaged in pigment and acrylic paint and medium on rag paper 75cmH x 57 cm w.

Dune Terrain version 3, 2018. Collaged reduction linocuts and oil paint on archival paper mounted on board. 53cm x 53 cm x 2 cm.
sold $480

Dune terrain version 2, 2018 Collaged reassembled painted reduction linocut with hydrogeology map insert, on archival paper mounted on board. 30 cm x 30 cm x 2 cm deep.

Art mag object pink/porphyry reversible 2018 Paper maché made from art magazines, PVA glue, acrylic paint, plaster of paris, plastic mesh, epoxy resin, superglue, epoxy glue Double sided, on base.

RSVP, Side 1, 2017. Paper maché made from unused exhibition invitations.

RSVP (side 2), 2017. Paper maché made from unused exhibition invitations.

Homage to drawing, 2017 Charcoal, graphite and torn drawings on
paper, embedded in paper maché. Dimensions irregular approx.. 38cm x 38 cm w x 5 cm deep.

Selected Past Exhibitions

Edge, Langford120 gallery, North Melbourne

February 11 to March 11, 2018.
The Langford120 summer exhibition of over 50 artists, curated by Irene Barberis.
My work is "Lava at the urban edge", 2017, acrylic and oil on canvas, 93cm H x 93cm W . It was inspired by the volcanic flows around ancient Pompeii and Catania, and by the material qualities of paint.

Images

"Lava at the urban edge", 2017, acrylic and oil on canvas, 93cm H x 93cm W

Gippsland Print Award, Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale Victoria

To Sunday 19 November 2017 A group exhibition of entries to the Print Award competition. One work, entitled "Aquifer", 2017. A unique monoprint, in acrylic paint on unstretched canvas, 145 cm H x 91 cm W.

Images

"Aquifer", 2017. Unique monoprint, acrylic paint on unstretched canvas, 145 cm H x 91 cm W.

"Archaeology of practice", Langford 120 gallery, September 10 to October 9, 2016

opening event 2pm - 4 pm Saturday September 10

Langford 120 gallery, 120 Langford Street, North Melbourne www.langford120.com.au

gallery open Thursdays to Saturdays 12-6 pm, Sundays 12-5 pm

"Archaeology of practice" shows some works that have taken shape slowly over the last 6 years, sometimes changing radically from their original state. They include a large painting on unstretched canvas which started its life as marks on a dropsheet, a smaller painting that reimagines a landscape from an old map, a re-assembled linocut, papier-mache objects, and a cabinet of small experimental objects which I make as a vital part of my everyday studio practice. The making process has some parallels with archaeology, in that I considered objects, fragments and traces of artefacts I had accumulated in my past practice, considering their materials, colours and forms, and reinterpreting, reassembling or connecting reconnecting their parts to make new visual meanings.

download a printable exhibition brochure here

download a mobile version of the exhibition brochure here

Images

Installation view of "Unforeseen territories", 2016, oil and acrylic on un-stretched canvas, 1.8m H x 5.3m W

Detail from "Unforeseen territories", 2016 — Detail from *"Unforeseen territories"*, 2016

"Archaeology of practice: experimental objects 2010 - 2016". 42 objects, mixed media. — *"Archaeology of practice: experimental objects 2010 - 2016".* 42 objects, mixed media.

"Dune terrain", 2016. Collaged reduction linocut over watercolour, on board. 37cm H x 37cm W

"Morphology", 2016. oil on canvas, 92 cm H x 92 cm W — *"Morphology",* 2016. oil on canvas, 92 cm H x 92 cm W

Installation view, "RSVP, side 1", 2016. 26 cm H Paper-mache made from exhibition invitations, PVA, expoxy resin, acrylic paint. — Installation view, *"RSVP, side 1",* 2016. 26 cm H Paper-mache made from exhibition invitations, PVA, expoxy resin, acrylic paint.

Installation view, "RSVP, side 2", 2016. 26 cm H Paper-mache made from exhibition invitations, PVA, expoxy resin, acrylic paint. — Installation view, *"RSVP, side 2",* 2016. 26 cm H Paper-mache made from exhibition invitations, PVA, expoxy resin, acrylic paint.

For any enquiries about works in this exhibition, please contact Langford 120 gallery. contacts at www.langford120.com.au

"This turns into That: Abstract works", Long Division Gallery, June 2 to June 23, 2016

Schoolhouse Studios, 81 Rupert Street, Collingwood. Location details at gallery website

gallery open Mondays to Fridays 10 am - 3 pm; Saturdays 11 am - 2 pm

"This turns into That: Abstract works” groups some of my abstract paintings, objects and an installation of fabric. Most of the works were generated in a process where the remnants or outcomes of making one work became the start of another. Gradually, with successive actions – brushstroking, deforming, pouring, flaking, transfer between surfaces, obscuring older layers – the marks, forms and colours accumulate, until a work looks lastingly interesting. These works reflect my deep interest in materiality, and in developing innovative processes that cross boundaries – between painting, printmaking and object making. Even the installation "Viewfinder" (a playful fabric 'room' with holes framing views through it), was developed from research involving these sorts of paintings.

Installation images