The Margaret Olley Art Centre (MOAC) at
the Tweed Regional Gallery, Murwillumbah is a remarkable space.
MOAC celebrates the career, life and
legacy of its namesake, Margaret Olley, AC (24 June 1923
– 26 July 2011) – Australia’s most celebrated painter of still
life and interiors.
Apart from beautiful
paintings by Olley, there are audio-visual stations that give a terrific
context to her life and work. Text,
visuals and interviews provide a great deal of information about this extraordinary
woman, one of our most well-loved painters.
Perhaps the most captivating
representation is at the heart of the space.
Rooms from the home of the artist were photographed and catalogued, deconstructed,
moved from Sydney and reconstructed within the gallery itself. The windows and doors are the actual ones from
her house. You can gaze in from vantage
points and see the rooms as they existed.
It is a very special experience.
From the gallery
booklet: “She loved to paint and collect things.
She is well known for her paintings of interiors and still life. She
never had a separate studio, but painted inside her home and in her friends’
homes… She collected books, ornaments,
sculptures from other countries and sometimes funny bits and pieces. She didn’t like throwing things away in case
she needed them again or wanted to paint them.”
The rooms are a treasure-trove of furniture,
dried flowers, glassware, artworks, paint and paint brushes … every nook and
cranny crammed with domestic things and the unusual, obviously the result of a
massive accumulation over the years. (Minimalists and de-clutterers would have palpitations at the sight!)
Don’t forget to put a visit
to the Tweed Regional Gallery on your list of things to do if you are visiting
northern New South Wales. Sit on the
balcony and enjoy one of the most glorious settings of any regional gallery. Then enjoy wandering through the marvellous
exhibitions and the very special Margaret Olley collection.
Boroondara Library Service
has an extensive range of art books. Have a look at some of the books in the library
about this amazing artist, including:
Margaret Olley: far from a still life by Meg Stewart.
Margaret Olley by Christine France.
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Written by Carol.
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