Hazelhurst exhibition to explore the Royal National Park

22-May-2002

'Common Ground', an initiative of the University of Wollongong exploring the Royal National Park (RNP), will be exhibited at the Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre in Gymea next month.

The exhibition, which explores this dramatic common ground shared by southern Sydney and the Illawarra, will run from 8th June to 4th August. It will be officially opened on Friday June 7 at 6.30pm by the Lord Mayor of Sutherland Shire, Councillor Tracie Sonda and attended by University of Wollongong Vice-Chancellor, Professor Gerard Sutton.

The exhibition will have two major components. The first component consists of new artwork created by contemporary artists that responds to the many cultural and physical aspects of the RNP. Since October 2001, eight artists have been invited to undertake residencies within the Park and the work on display in this exhibition is a result of these residencies and it is their response to this culturally complex region. The fires of Christmas 2001 happened virtually in the middle of the residency program and have had a profound affect on the aesthetics and contents of the exhibition. Fire, and its potential for physical and cultural change, has become emblematic within many of the works.

The catalogue essays by Diana Wood Conroy and Tom Sear further contextualise the Royal National Park through a variety of different viewpoints from historical, social and botanical.

The second component consists of an exhibition of material held by the University of Wollongong, predominantly from collections within the Faculty of Science - the 'Janet Cosh Herbarium, Map Collection' and the 'Biological Science Teaching Collection.'

The material on display plays an integral role in the teaching programs of the University and many of the items have been assembled through research and teaching projects that have been carried out by staff and students within the RNP's boundaries. They reflect the ongoing relationship that the University of Wollongong has had with the NPWS and in particular the extensive study that has been undertaken in the Park. ÔCommon Ground' gives a broad view of the RNP, embracing both the visual arts and science, and informs a contemporary cultural understanding of this rich heritage, that both communities share.

For more information: contact Glenn Barkley, Curator, UOW Art Collection on (02) 4221 5552.