News

Paintings in a Sydney gallery by an Avondale College staff member were the subject of a review published by the city's broadsheet newspaper this month.

Visual arts lecturer Richard Morris doorknocked galleries but the size of his paintings--Richard carried them on his roof-rack rather than under his arm--proved problematic. He eventually found a willing suitor--the Robin Gibson Gallery in Darlinghurst ends its display of Richard's paintings today--and an admiring critic.

The review by Kerry Coleman of The Sydney Morning Herald read as follows:

 "Richard Morris's paintings in wild bright colours or more sombre muted hues are cut into smaller pieces and reassembled. The result is a contrasting collage of shapes and colours . . . best viewed from afar, where the viewer can appreciate the interaction between the fragments. Observing them, it's tempting to restore the jigsaw puzzle. . . . This is impossible but you soon find yourself admiring the pleasing fit of the new configuration."

The exhibition will add to Richard's credibility and, he hopes, inspire his students. "It's essential you practice what you teach." And what about the feelgood factor? "Historically, a bad review is probably better for an artist, so a good review may prove to be . . . , well, it's better than no review," says Richard. "Somebody has said, 'This is worth writing about,' and that's a nice thing."