This is Sandy Brown Jensen, and you’re listening to Viz City, KLCC’s arts review program!
G'day from the Barossa Valley in South Australia! I didn't need to head to Adelaide's grand galleries, as I discovered a truly remarkable one right here in Seppeltsfield: Wonderground.
Wonderground is a brave, new, immersive contemporary art gallery that boldly celebrates awe and wonder through art and wine. Gallerists and artists Renee de Saxe and Kirsty Kingsley imagined a space elevating regional contemporary art. It's both a dedicated art gallery and a cellar door, inviting you to enjoy a glass of wine while immersing yourself in the current exhibition.
I met co-owner Kirsty Kingsley, who painted one of my favorites, a large acrylic titled “Esse,” or “Everything.” It's a cheerful yellow abstract appearing to hurtle through space with metallic seed pods. This piece evokes an exciting, future-positive feeling.
A second painting by Kirsty I loved is “Realms.” This vibrant abstract painting features a harmonious blend of blues, greens, and yellows, accented with pops of white, pink, and deep red, creating a joyful and lively sense of blooming forms and sunlit waters. The dynamic brushstrokes and playful shapes evoke a feeling of exuberant growth and carefree delight.
It's always fascinating when a title contrasts with what I see. Karen Slape's abstract “Harvest Bleeds #2” portrays, to me, an explosion of spiritual ascension.
I’m thrilled by its glowing gold spiral of the sun with a whispered hint of a guardian presence in the mist. I also loved her “Light Falls #2,” a gorgeous dawn-colored sky with an Impressionistic row of trees that seem to exude their own vibrant presence. You can see these images on my KLCC Viz City blog.
This is Sandy Brown Jensen way Down Under for KLCC.
