May Barrie Stone
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May Barrie Stone
1 June 2023 - 31 January 2024 Hazelhurst Gardens Hazelhurst Arts Centre
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MAY BARRIE STONE May Barrie (1918-2014) had a great love of stone, carving sculpture for over seven decades until her last works in 2013 at the age of 95. This exhibition features large scale, carved stone sculptures made by the artist between 1980 and 2006. Barrie has a significant place in Australian art history as a sculptor and female artist. She lived and worked at Callemondah, the property built by her and her husband in the foothills of the Illawarra escarpment. Her working methods began with an idea, followed possibly by sketches. She worked with the character of the stone – mainly marble, granite and sandstone that was often sourced in the Illawarra – to draw
opposite: May Barrie in her studio, c.1940s
out beautiful abstract forms. In the 1970s Barrie built a gallery at Callemondah, and from that point in her career, much of her work was exhibited in the gallery and gardens which were often visited by curators, artists, and collectors. A highlight of her career was receiving the Sculpture by the Sea Balnaves Prize in 2009 for her sculpture Time and Tide (1996). This exhibition in Hazelhurst’s expansive gardens invites viewers to discover Barrie’s works and recognise her achievements.
Carrie Kibbler Curator
previous page: Angaston Gold Landscape 2006 marble
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above top and previous page: Affinity 1980-85 Angaston marble
above bottom: Granite Monolith 1 1982-83 granite
opposite and cover page detail: Warrior in Imperial Granite 1996 granite 6
next page: Angaston Gold Landscape 2006 marble
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Sutherland Shire Council acknowledges the Dharawal people as the Traditional Custodians of the land within the Sutherland Shire. We value and celebrate Dharawal culture & language, and acknowledge Dharawal people’s continuing connection to the land, the sea and community. We pay respect to the Elders and their families, past, present and emerging, and through them, to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
HAZELHURST STAFF Director: Belinda Hanrahan Curator: Carrie Kibbler Assistant Curator: Naomi Stewart Public Programs & Education Coordinator: Natalie O’Connor Public Programs & Education Officer: Melissa Goodall Marketing Advisor: Stephanie Hopper Arts Centre Coordinator: Fiona McFadyen Team Leader Visitor Services & Administration: Caryn Schwartz Venue Duty Officers: Vilma Hodgson, Giada Cantini Visitor Service Assistants: Hannah McClaren, Marilyn Brown, Adam Douglas, Grant Drinkwater Project installers: Wollongong Crane Trucks, Mark Gumley Hazelhurst Arts Centre is a facility of Sutherland Shire Council and supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.
May Barrie: Stone 1 June 2023 - 31 January 2024 © Hazelhurst Arts Centre 782 Kingsway Gymea NSW 2227 Australia T: 61 2 8536 5700 E:hazelhurst@ssc.nsw.gov.au www.hazelhurst.com.au ISBN: 978-1-921437-75-5 All images by silversalt photography except page 3, courtesy of the May Barrie estate. Hazelhurst would like to especially thank Tori de Mestre, Illawarra-based artist, daughter of May Barrie and the manager of the May Barrie estate at Callemondah, for making this exhibition possible and assisting Hazelhurst during its development. Callemondah Studios callemondahstudios.org
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