The Painter and the Glassmaker

5th - 26th March 2020
Black Door Gallery, Auckland

The Painter and The Glassmaker is an exhibition born out of the collaboration and synergy of two artists, Jennie De Groot and Di Tocker. Each artist will bring their medium, expressive painting and cast glass, to a similar theme - the memory of place. This evocative exhibition will invite thoughtful contemplation as the two artists present works that are rich in connections and interrelated ideas.

De Groots’ landscapes are not literal in their depictions. Through layered gestures and emotive colour, the viewer is cued to recollect places visited and experiences had. These psychological landscapes are executed with a sense of pace and energy, leading them to feel ephemeral and fleeting, similar to the associated memory. Philospoher Michel Foucault once stated that, "memories are an echo from another time, another place". De Groots' paintings present us such echoes.

Di Tocker’s thought provoking sculptures pair contemplative figure with universal shape to imply mood and experience. The emotion of the pieces is further enhanced by the rich and graduating colours incorporated in the glass. With the figure acting as an entry point to the narrative of each piece, Tocker creates the space to project memories and meaning onto the work. Tocker's series presents us with large scale work, an impressive showcase of her technical skill.