Whenever I hear Rex Harrison's Professor Henry Higgins of My Fair Lady quietly questioning "Why Can't a Woman Be More Like a Man", I want to answer with Ethel Merman's booming rendition of "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better" from Annie Get Your Gun.  The musical conversation came to mind again after seeing this exhibition.  Fair enough too considering the fair lady artists of Western Australia can certainly hit the mark when it comes to producing engaging works.

Rebirth is presented by Soroptimist International of Fremantle, part of a world wide organization of women from all walks of life that seeks to advance women's status and the equality of human rights around the globe. The exhibition reflects that goal as the participants offer a variety of artforms representing a diversity of cultural backgrounds, personal experiences, age and artistic status. Rebirth goes well beyond celebrating women's suffrage, women artists or gender equity, to identify and understand the commonalities, rather than accent the differences, within a society.

The broad range of work on show makes for highly enjoyable viewing.  Look for the delicacy in textile artists Elsje van Keppel's Work in Progress and Valerie Takao's Energy Glow. Appreciate the fine crafts(wo)manship found in Martein van Zuilen's Treasure Nests (one earth ochre coloured, the other of sea blue hues) and the selection of Jeanette Rein's wooden adornments. Discover the significance of Sandra Hill's mixed media print White Wedding and Mary Moore's painting My Grandmother and Me.  Feel the potency of Linda van der Merwe's oil triptych Power Play and Audrey Satar's charcoal The Expulsion from Paradise.  Revel in the intricacy of Nalda Searles' Lissen, a conch shaped construction of grass and Xanthorrhea 'fingers' and enjoy the humour in Rosa Della Torre's answer to that old question, Where does milk come from?

This exhibition speaks of the indomitable spirit of women, of how they share, which is why they survive. Sexist remark, you bet!  The exhibits reference all histories - indigenous and ethnic, political and personal - and show how each is treated with the same sense of importance and equality of worth by the artists.  Sexist exhibition, not in the least!  Rebirth is a well curated (by Elisabeth Rechichi) display of fine art produced by talented Western Australian artists, and should be seen more than once.

To all those involved, a marvellous effort and thank you for the experience.

(check out Amanda Paige Alderson's exhibit Freshmart 'The Essence of Food' )