by Sam Rohweder
I can’t help but feel that many believe you have to come
into the heart of Brisbane to experience the best of what the South East region
has to offer artistically. Often there is more reward for looking outside the
box for inspiration. A fine example of that is The Swich Contemporary Art Space
located at the Top of Town, Heritage Precinct in Ipswich. The Swich provides
space for local emerging and established artists to exhibit and sell their
work. It is a fully fledged commercial
concern in the heart of Ipswich; it offers gallery hire, has a gift shop and
provides professional photographic services, advertising and promotion. The Swich
staff are also very involved in keeping
the local art community focused and inspired by regularly offering insightful
and sometimes thought provoking artist talks in a friendly atmosphere. The Swich also encourages collaborations and projects,
as well as provide a door for local artist to access professional art networks.
"Our conception of a
‘contemporary art space’ is not bound by the notion of location and therefore
is not restricted only to art dedicated spaces such as museums, galleries and
studios.
It is about transforming spaces and using contemporary art as key elements in changing the perceptions of people and communities—to transform our everyday experiences of space and place."
It is about transforming spaces and using contemporary art as key elements in changing the perceptions of people and communities—to transform our everyday experiences of space and place."
(theswichcontempoararyartspace 2012)
The Swich is driven by two very talented and experienced owners,
Gilbert Burgh and LeAnne Vincent. Project Director Gilbert Burgh is a man of
many hats as he is Southern Regional Director for Queensland Arts Council, a
member of the Community Arts Action Group, is on both the Ipswich Regional Arts
Development Fund and Ipswich Art Awards committees and is a friend of the
Ipswich Art Gallery. Not to mention his teaching and speaking commitments in
Ipswich and Brisbane. While LeAnne Vincent is Gallery Director and photographer
and has worked extensively in the public sector. Her professional photographic
career has meant that she has exhibited works at The Brisbane Powerhouse, Metro
Arts and White Box Gallery just to name a few.
The Swich’s latest Solo exhibition entitled “Eklektikos” is
by contemporary painter David Howard, a former QCA graduate, who is now based
at the Glasshouse Mountains on the Sunshine Coast. These 30 works are a
eclectic mix of works from over his many years of arts practice. You can see
how his thought processes go through phases and his work evolves but there is
still an enduring frankness that ties all these separate pieces together. I
really enjoyed David's down to earth style and lack of pretense. The opening
was a busy event and I was surprised to see many of his works were already sold.
Unfortunately this exhibition has just closed in preparation for the next;
however he has other work in the Artslink Qld Touring Exhibiting program at the
moment if you are keen to see his work.
There have been some amazing exhibitions in this
beautiful little gallery and one thing I can truly say about The Swich
Contemporary Art Space is that all the openings are very well attended by
fellow artists, local socialites and buyers. Being such a small gallery space
it is common to see the crowd spill out onto the walkway in front on opening
night, which always looks encouraging. I believe The Swich Contemporary Art
Space is a wonderful backdrop for any practicing artist's exhibition as there
is an amazing vibe about the place, or maybe that’s just me.
The Swich Contemporary Art Space is situated in Top of
Town precinct with its wonderful Bohemian or “Indie” vibe . Top of Town is
growing into a very avant-garde cultural epicenter out in the western region. It's
beautiful old heritage buildings, brick paved walkways and old street lamps are
centered around the “Old Flour Mill” and filled with eclectic stores. There are
quirky boutiques alongside inviting, friendly sidewalk cafes and eateries. The
twilight markets on Fridays from 4-8pm have an array of unusual stalls and are true
to the “Indie Boutique” style. The Top of Town is definitely growing into the
creative heart of Ipswich and The Swich Contemporary Art Space contributes to and
benefits from the people that it draws.
References
The Swich Contemporary Art Space (2012) retrieved October 21, 2012 from
http://www.theswichcontemporaryartspace.com.au/
The Top of Town Ipswich
The Swich Contemporary
Art Space Facebook page
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