Town Hall Gallery at Hawthorn Arts Centre hosts an important new exploration of our rich natural diversity through art this August and September, with a free exhibition that emphasises the urgent need for climate action.
Above The Canopy dives into the long, storied history of nature represented in art, with works from artists including Sarah Hendy, Janet Laurence, Michael McHugh, Rebecca Mayo, Catherine Nelson, Grant Stevens and Judy Watson.
McHugh created a work specifically for the exhibition, and was inspired by the potential evolutionary changes that may emerge from drastic changes in our climate. "My work imagines a world of natural forms from both land and sea, completely with new DNA, creating a rare evolution of species which organically began from the beauty of the Australian natural environment."
"This work, Swimming In The Clouds (Acrylic on Canvas), is the largest painting I have done to date... In my world I want to bring the viewer joy, and for a moment forget everything else that is going on in their lives."
You can also join one of two exhibition tours, a cinema session, or a panel discussion as part of the exhibition's calendar of events. Above The Canopy runs until September 24 at the Hawthorn Arts Centre, and entry is free.