A new Ipswich exhibition will shine a spotlight on the enormous impact small objects and creatures can have on the environment.
They May Be Small, featuring local artists Katherine McNamara and Amanda Laing, will open at the Ipswich Community Gallery on Thursday, 6 August.
The exhibition brings together two distinct bodies of work connected by a shared environmental theme. McNamara’s art focuses on the familiar plastic soy sauce fish often supplied with takeaway sushi, while Lang explores the importance of insects.
McNamara said the exhibition title reflected the central message running through both artists’ work.
“They may be small, but they have a massive impact,” she said.
Plastic soy fish inspire environmental artworks
McNamara has been exploring plastic soy fish containers in her art since 2017, when she was invited to take part in the environmental group exhibition Go Fish.
The artists involved were challenged to create work featuring the small plastic containers, prompting McNamara to begin examining their environmental impact.
The concept has continued to evolve over several years.
McNamara said the containers were once so common that many people barely noticed them, despite regularly finding them discarded in car parks, streets and areas surrounding takeaway businesses.
“Once you notice them, you see them everywhere,” she said.
“Sometimes they haven’t even been opened or used before they’re thrown away.”
She later issued a public call-out asking people to collect discarded soy fish for her work, allowing the wider community to contribute directly to the project.
One of the resulting artworks also received recognition in an environmental competition conducted by the Bremer Catchment Association.
Artists paired through shared themes
McNamara and Lang originally submitted separate expressions of interest for solo exhibitions at the Ipswich Community Gallery.
Gallery representatives identified similarities in their environmental themes and suggested the artists present their work together.
The pair had not met before being matched for the exhibition but quickly found their ideas and creative approaches complemented each other.
While the works are visually different, shared elements such as turquoise colours help connect the two practices throughout the gallery.
The exhibition will be presented as a combined experience rather than simply dividing the space between the artists.
Funding supports exhibition catalogue
The project has received support through the Regional Arts Development Fund, a partnership between the Queensland Government and Ipswich City Council supporting local arts and cultural development.
Part of the funding was used to commission an exhibition essay by feminist art historian Dr Louise Mayhew.
The essay explores the artists’ practices, environmental themes and the process of bringing their work together. It will be included in a catalogue available at the exhibition.
McNamara said Ipswich City Council’s Articulate professional development program had also played an important role in helping her progress as an artist.
Her interest in art began at school, but she became more actively involved in Ipswich’s creative community about 15 years ago.
Although she has previously participated in exhibitions, including a duo show at Art Time Supplies in 2018, McNamara said They May Be Small represented a major milestone in her career.
Exhibition open for 11 days
They May Be Small will be open at the Ipswich Community Gallery from 6 to 16 August, daily between 10am and 3pm.
The official opening will be held at 3.30pm on Saturday, 8 August, followed by an artist talk at 10.30am on Sunday, 9 August.
McNamara will be at the gallery throughout the exhibition and encouraged visitors to come along, view the work and discuss the environmental ideas behind it.
“It’s an amazing and very rich arts community,” she said.
“Everyone is so supportive of each other across visual art, theatre and performance.”
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