About the exhibition
‘PLACES‘ an exhibition of paintings by Jill Kempson April 29 - May 13 2014
PLEASE NOTE The exhibition will be closed on Sat May 10th due to a private function at Alliance Francaise
OPENS 29th April 6.30- 8.00
At Alliance Francaise 51 Grey Street St Kilda : Web http://www.afmelbourne.com.a
Jill Kempson’s up coming exhibition combines works inspired from journeys to France and Japan.
France
Between April and June 2013 Jill was artist in residence at ‘Villa Fontaine’ Antibes, France. This historic villa is perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Mediterranean. International artists are invited on behalf of the Antibes Town Council to spend time in this exceptionally beautiful region of the world. Each artist donates a work created during the residency to the Council – the work then becomes part of the Antibes Council’s Permanent Collection.
Highly respected French curator, writer and researcher Partrick Le Chanu writes:
“Jill Kempson is an artist who transcends the succession of styles and art genres. A key reason for this is Jill’s continuation of the artistic tradition of the Grand Tour. Thanks to her travels and her studies of the old masters, she has been able to assimilate, then go beyond, the ‘models’, while developing her own vision and style.”
“Among Jill’s most striking paintings are her scenes depicting a natural world seemingly untouched by human intervention. These images of nature are sometimes peaceful, sometimes tormented, but there is still a harmony in the contrasting forces….In the different subjects she chooses, the numerous viewpoints adopted and formats used, Jill Kempson explores the landscape in all in perspectives.” - Patrick + Karen Le Chanu - ‘Jill Kempson’s Oeuvre Landscape in Perspective’
Patrick has been a curator of French Museums for more than 20 years, including twelve years at the Centre for Research and Restoration for French museums, located at the Musee du Louvre.
Japan
“Over the last twenty-five years Jill Kempson has forged a practice that features a dialogue across time, as well as across continents. Her work emerges as a meditation upon place taking in different locations, a refining of simple landscape elements – ground, sky, water and vegetation.” excerpt from an essay by Nyanda Smith - Jill Kempson - place, time, connection
The uniqueness of the Japanese urban and natural environment offered compelling stimulus for new concepts to be explored in Jill’s work. With her unwavering fascination with light and atmospheres, Jill has painted a series of alluring night-time urbanscapes depicting scenes ranging from steamy restaurants in Kyoto to the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. Contrasting these smaller intimate works, she has also painted large works featuring the mountainous regions of Japan with their serene and timeless beauty.
Art Critic, Sahsa Grishim wrote in the Canberra Times in reference to the small series of nighttime paintings of Tokyo and Kyoto of the strength “ in the small genre scenes, including House of Geisha, Shinjuku and Arashiyama I. Here, her love of colour, passion for observation and her technical refinement are all successfully brought together.”
Jill Kempson writes:
The trip that inspired the works for ‘Places’ had its origin’s whilst visiting France in mid 2010."
I was introduced to a wonderful Japanese artist, who lives in Paris. She was instrumental in orchestrating the trip I made to Japan in December 2010 with my daughter Mim, and arranged for us to visit the famous 14th century monastery in Kyoto, Daitoku-ji.
The Temple of Daitoku-ji covers 23 hectares and is linked with the master of the Tea ceremony Sen no Rikyu. We were privileged to meet with Zen Buddhist Monk, Siezan Toda who ever so kindly showed us through the monastery. We were taken to places usually unseen by tourists, such as exquisite Zen gardens, Nightingale floors and interiors with amazing hand painted screens.
We were also very fortunate to be invited to stay with a very gracious and generous Japanese family the Nakatomi’s in their beautiful traditional home in the mountains in the south island of Kyshui. View from ‘Heiki San’ and ‘Japanese Forrest’ are both images from this location.