NATURAL FORESTS - Australia's wilderness coast
by Valerie
(GALLERY BODALLA)
The Gap Reserve East Gippsland Copyright JUDITH DELAND
Gallery Bodalla
Gallery Bodalla comes alive again for the summer season with Natural Forests' Australia's wilderness coast - a unique photographic exhibition featuring seven of Australia's most prominent photographers: Rob Blakers, Judith Deland, John Reid, Gordon Undy, Heide Smith, Wesley Stacey and Richard Green.
This exhibition, an initiative of South East Region Conservation Alliance (SERCA) celebrating UN International Year of the Forest 2011, captures the beauty of Australia's south eastern native forests, starkly juxtaposed to the destruction caused by continued logging. It has received acclaim on its travels from Bermagui to Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne, and returns home to the Far South Coast for its final Australian showing at Gallery Bodalla.
The brainchild of former fashion businesswoman and now respected artist and climate change activist Prue Acton, Natural Forests - Australia's Wilderness Coast, captures the awe-inspiring imagery of our natural native forests. Ms Acton describes the exhibition as a stark reminder of how important Australia's native forests are to biodiversity and climate change.
'Art and ecology are natural bedfellows. Art may not be able to change the world, but it can remind the world of what we stand to lose and also of what is still ours if we can only move away from unsustainable and destructive industries, such as native forest logging. I was inspired by Peter Dombrovkis' photograph, 'River Bend', which is credited with helping save the Franklin River. An email to photographer, Richard Green, resulted in him taking an unforgettable panorama of the South East forests,' Ms Acton said.
'I hope the powerful imagery from this exhibition has an impact on Australians at this pivotal time in history, adding to the story that is told through science and economics' she continued.
Please join us Saturday 5 November at 3pm for the opening by Iris White, Chair, Gulaga Board of Management with introduction by Prue Acton OBE.
Local musicians Home Brewed will play a mix of Celtic, old time and world folk music.
I hope you can come along
