Pop-up art studio gives locals a look into the art world

Five local artists have come together to give visitors a snapshot into a real art studio at Mandurah's Contemporary Art Spaces.

Earlier this month CASM was converted from an exhibition space into an open artist's studio environment for the annual Open Studio Collective and will run until early February.

Artists Joshua Brew, Alana Grant, Ashley Hay, Noela O'Keefe and Lisa Payton will be showcasing their works at the studio from now until next Thursday, February 1, where visitors are able to wander through the open studio spaces, chat to the artists and watch new artworks being created.

The collective hosted an artist-run event last Friday and will conduct an artists' talk on closing evening from 6.00pm.

All five artists range in style and technique offering five unique studio environments giving local art lovers a chance to explore the many different sides of the art world. 

Mandurah born and raised Joshua Brew's fine art practice incorporates the exploration of healthy forms of emotional expression for young males.

Joshua has witnessed the mental, emotional and spiritual health needs of young men and boys through his time as a leader at Eastlake Church
and his full-time teaching role.

“As an emerging young male artist, my work aims to explore how young men learn to acknowledge the challenges the world throws at them and how we tackle these issues,” he said.

Ceramic sculptor Alana Grant was recently named the 2018 CASM Artist in Residence.

Her works are influenced by the internal and external landscape of society, and are often represented by symbolistic, mythical or fantasy sculptures.

“For the most part, my work is an avenue to explore the cultural constructs and ideologies that exist within society, as these inform and influence the health of the individual, the collective community and the ecosystem they occupy,” Grant said.

Visitors can see how Ashley Hay approaches visual imagery when visiting the exhibition space. 

Hay hopes to communicate a sense of peace, beauty and rest that can be found in nature.

“I intend my artwork to be a celebration of nature and an expression of my felt, spiritual response to the elements of fire, earth and water, that will hopefully evoke an appreciation in the viewer of the pictorial representation of a sense of place," she said. 

Noela O'Keefe has used many different mediums during her artistic journey, including pastels and oil paints.

“My art has developed organically through my life, as have I,” she said.

"I interpret what I see rather than paint what I see.

"I am certainly an artist in the making and I truly hope that never, ever changes.”

Well-known Mandurah artist Lisa Payton is the final artist to round out the collective.

Popular for her passion of vibrant colours and the use of flowing mediums to describe the natural landscape, Payton has produced a range works for her artwork including resin and powertex fabric hardener sculptures.

Payton said her artworks are a conduit to connect people with place. 

"Through the abstract bird's eye view, people often recognise a place they have been throughout Australia," she said. 

"It is through the recognition of the land that I am able to deliver a positive environmental message, one of respect and responsibility towards the earth we live in."

CASM gallery hours are Wednesday to Sunday from 10.00am to 4.00pm

For more information about the Open Studio Collective to www.mandurah.wa.gov.au or www.artspacesmandurah.com.au