It's always interesting to view exhibits by artists whose work are new to us. As the participants in this exhibition are unknown to me, the gallery was entered minus any pre-set expectations or what would be encountered. The first impression was 'very good' while circumnavigating the gallery added more positive points to that original assessment.

The excellent sculptural works by Korin Gath evoke all sorts of responses. The collection of woven wire work is whimsical and masterful. I love the Jacket but fear it might be itchy when worn while the Ladies' Boots looked like they might mould to fit my feet! A close look at the collection of various sized wooden skeleton keys reveals each is unique but it's the works of combined glass and timber that take the prize. Each of the five works involves two separate pieces, one timber the other glass, that fit together perfectly to form a visually satisfying object that invites tactile inspection. They are contemplative with reference to the Yin and Yang; dark/light, opaque/clear, rough/smooth, solid/ liquid.

Anna Gath's exhibits have us contemplating opposites, albeit in a lighter manner. Her 'crushed objects' could be read as 'domestic pressures' or 'a housewife's revenge'. I prefer the latter but either translation involves placing the tongue firmly in the cheek!  Here old kitchen utensils, bakeware, even an electric stove element, are crushed into neat squares ready to hang on the wall. One has to compliment Gath on the added touches of colour (orange in What's for Dinner and Baked Beans on Sunday, and blue in Mashed Potatoes) as it suggests a sense of pre-planned mayhem.

Emma Benichou offers paintings that evoke moods of the city by those who drift through it. Her series Urban Passage offers three images of the same Northbridge scene, each depicted as if we are passing by at a different, more accelerated speed. The first is an identifiable place well-defined in lively colour. The second repeats the subject with blurred edges, the third involves a muted horizontal pattern employing the same hues. Benichou's monochromatic Crossing Triptych suggest the ghost-like quality a city can own. She reminds us that when anonymous people pass with no acknowledgement of their being there, and buildings rise and fall and rise again, any metropolis can be crowed yet still devoid of life.

Tracy Bear's abstract works have interesting titles and as such, one supposes, they involved interesting concepts and ideas experienced by the artist during the making. The surfaces contain areas of interest with built up texture and lines etched into the paint. They also involve large flat areas of opaque colour. Her style works best in the smaller works then the larger ones as we don't need to travel through vast areas of little interest between spots of excitement. She should follow the lead shown in I can't be everywhere, a large well textured work in clean white and black with touches of bright pink. The whole surface is exciting in its own right all the while hinting of something 'hidden' underneath.

Emily Fenner's paintings replicate the worn surfaces of walls made of stone or plaster over brick. After we appreciate the photographic realism employed, the paintings don't hold our interest. The different walls, along with the occasional rusty pipe, sprig of foliage, sky and clouds are all painted in the same smooth manner. Considering the subject is texture, the paintings could have included some tactile interest. 

All in all a good show of fine works by promising practitioners.