What a delightful exhibition this is. Sage's copper works of whimsy and Lunel's images of contented ladies, and her abstract patterns, work together well. The one common attribute of these very different art styles and practices, that holds the exhibition together, is their celebration of the human condition.
Lunel's figurative paintings engage us with their quietude and calm. These smooth surfaces of fresh cool colours, balanced compositions, and simply drawn women create an overall sense of peace. Even the lady wearing a very broad brimmed hat pictured in As She Arrived in This Barren Land seems undaunted by the nothingness that surrounds her. Lunel places only a ‘head shot’ of her subject, front and centre on an otherwise bare, horizontally aligned surface to reinforce the idea of a broad empty land.
Her abstract works too are well structured and resolved. Lunel employs cursive marks, small golden squares, wavy lines and floral forms to create decorative patterns that own a sense of a symmetry and balance.
Balance is needed in sculpture for purely practical reasons but Sage's work also maintains a perfect balance between imagination and craftsmanship. His water features of copper pipe and fused glass present very well as do his wire formed installations Shroomies and Cooee. These well-constructed works, and the large Hothouse Flowers (that seems like a collection of whirlwinds) are ideal in a garden setting.
Meanwhile the smaller plinth works in copper charm us with their gentle humour and good design. Sage presents a collection of unique boats that suggest a variety of life's journeys. One has intrepid explorers travelling in a boat that runs (literally) on Chicken Legs, then there's the sailboat Land Yacht that travels on wheels. And you'll marvel at the series of 'high-rise nests' where human scenarios are played out in bird nests set atop delicate yet secure, open towers. They range from the sublime (Gathering Stars) to the ridiculous (In Defence of Cuckoos).
Both artists present fine artworks that will appeal to those who are sufficiently sophisticated to appreciate art that can make you think while lifting your spirit.