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“…In The Top Paddock” features unique and innovative works by artists Margaret Worth and Toyotake Yamauchi that reflect the harsh landscape in which our farmers work the land.

Both artists use the inherent qualities of plywood to create works focusing on the cultural imprints made on the land by rural practices and what they reveal about Australian farming cultures.

Margaret Worth has been a practicing artist for over 30 years, with much of her time spent in rural, regional and remote areas. It is her perceptions of the cultivated landscape that have inspired her paintings and objects in plywood.

Toyotake Yamauchi emigrated to Australia from Japan and is inspired by everything that is new and different in his adopted country.

Yamauchi laser cuts and laminates plywood into assembled forms. Using the remote landscape for his inspiration, the artworks include a selection of farming animals that are an essential part of the Australian landscape, creating a connection with this country while illustrating a playful reflection of our culture.

Goolwa, South Coast Regional Art Centre
May 1 – May 24, 2009

Mannum, Arnold Gallery
June 3 – June 28, 2009

Kapunda Art Gallery
July 3 – July 26, 2009

Bordertown, Civic Centre Walkway Gallery
August 3 - August 26, 2009

Naracoorte Art Gallery
September 1 – September 28

"... In the top Paddock"

Artists Margaret Worth and Toyotake Yamauchi use the inherent qualities of plywood to transform the material into both playful and serious references to land use. The works focus on the cultural imprints made on the land by rural practices and what they reveal about Australian farming cultures.

It is valuable for Visual Arts students as a demonstration of how two different artists explore a common theme in complementary ways using the same material, plywood. The use of humour as a strategy for exploring and communicating ideas linked to land use is a feature.

The exhibition can be sourced by Society & Environment teachers as a social document about regional life and its unique qualities and issues. It records the natural environment and how man-made forces have impacted on it.

Learning Areas: Visual Arts, Society & Environment
Year Level: Secondary
Download: Education Resource for "…in the top paddock" here
 
For more information visit Learning Connections here

Image 1: Margaret Worth: Water into Wine, acrylic on marine plywood, 2007. 120 x 120cm
Image 2: Margaret Worth - So Many Rain Drops (detail), 2007
Image 3: Toyotake Yamauchi,  Plump Sleep Stool/Table (detail), Plywood, 560x 440x 460mm