These very different yet equally intriguing exhibitions remind us there's always room for something new in art. Burton prefers to cut, hammer, punch and paint pieces of aluminium before arranging them into stunning compositions while McCahon chooses to mould and manipulate free flowing resin into intriguing wall sculptures. What these artists have in common is a unique approach to making art that provides visual stimulation and tactile interest.
In his exhibition, Burton looks at borders where different element come together yet remain separate. There is the horizon between earth and sky, the bank that segregates water and land, the fence line that defines yours and mine. In the large construction Sky and Gold, some 2,750 inch-square pieces of metal are individually numbered and nailed neatly in rows on a board. A narrow strip of pale yellow forms a high horizon. After spray painting the whole in brown and golden earth hues, every square above the horizon is signed 'sky' while those below are named 'gold'. This is a thought provoking, almost mesmerizing construction for its sense of precision, subtle beauty and overpowering presence. Ahh but isn't that exactly what this planet is all about?
River, Creek and Swan River each offer smooth serpentine shapes winding through a hammered ground suggestive of bush land. But the round format and dun colour of Brook does not instigate thoughts of running water as much as an ancient Aztec icon or a futuristic hatch to an Alien spacecraft. Then, on a lighter note, there is the delightful Wedding Shop. Here pink roses are punch drawn into metal calling to mind the pressed tin ceilings of yesteryear. We wonder if it has been salvaged from an old florist's shop or a Las Vegas chapel.
Burton's works are rich in colour and innuendo as well as surface interest with the most satisfying aspect being how they relate differently to each viewer. Although quiet different in media and method, the same can be said about McCahon's translucent and opaque, poured and formed resin wall hangings.
McCahon's exhibits investigate the possibility of resin as a medium for making art. Her neat patterns involve spikes, drips and half balls growing out of glossy surfaces that reward the viewer's curiosity with amazement and appreciation. There are no profound comments on art or life here although the works are indeed inspired by both. For example Bottle Teats has replications of baby bottle teats spiralling outward from a dense cluster of intense hues at the centre to more widely spaced and less colourful teats near the edges of the clear rectangular surface. And Red Balls references the rounded measuring cup used for powdered formula. Here the 'balls' run from red at the centre, through orange to yellow, with sufficient clear ones dotted about. A solid understanding of artistic precision is needed to suggest the sense of randomness in these works. Exactitude is also employed in producing the ebb and flow of Yellow to Orange Spikes, a diptych consisting of a convex and a concave vertical rectangles where the length and hue of the 'spikes' on one, are reversed on the other.
There is a strong inclination to touch McCahon's work to ascertain if the glossy opaque exhibits are cool and hard while the translucent ones are warm and pliable. As much as I appreciated all the works, the triptych Black and White drew my eye, mind and hand like a magnet. I found the roundness of the half balls, the linear pattern and colour graduation from clear through grey to black, the subtle differences in each segment, and neatness of the whole work provided total satisfaction.
Do have a look at these exhibitions and enjoy a lateral approach to making art.