Joanna Gambotto

Joanna Gambotto is a Polish- born, Sydney based painter who has found solace in the personal possessions of a fellow artist. In May, Fox Galleries presents her solo exhibition ‘Another Bunch of Flowers’, a new series of yellow-red interiors and still lifes that illuminates the legacy of the great Australian painter Margaret Olley.

Peering into the recreation of the Late Margaret Olley’s studio at Tweed Regional Gallery, Joanna Gambotto choreographs her observations into rich, ticklish brushstrokes that caress each object into place. Interior scenes spirited with Inanimate objects that reflect the life of Olley- a painter, advocate, mentor and traveller who understood the significance and beauty of the spaces that occupy our days.

For both painters, interiors become portraits and portraits reflect the painter. For Gambotto, there is a sense of good company, and comradery eclipsing the traditional interior and still life with reverberating compositions that cannot stay still. They’re loquacious, fragrant and buoyant, brimming with poses of colour, knicknacks, cultural treasures and the provocative possessions of an artist.

Artist Statement:

Another Bunch of Flowers takes inspiration from Margaret Olley’s famous Duxford Street home studio. Originally located in Paddington, Sydney, the studio has been recreated at Tweed Regional Gallery. This eclectic space is filled with an impressive array or objects Olley has collected over the years, many of which feature in her paintings.

‘Another Bunch of Flowers’ is my response to this beautifully chaotic space, brimming over with shapes, colours and textures. The title references Olley’s famous quote, which sums up her approach to life and art:

“I’ve never liked housework. I get by doing little chores when I feel like them, in between painting. Who wants to chase dust all their life? You can spend your whole lifetime cleaning the house. I like watching the patina grow. If the house looks dirty, buy another bunch of flowers, is my advice.”

Margaret Olley