Rococo, an 18th century European style of decoration that’s all about the theatrical and ornamental (think of the castle in Beauty and the Beast) is generally thought of as being quite separate to the colonial style that emerged in the decades following. But like most things in the art world, it’s difficult to draw exact lines between movements and styles, and there are plenty of artists who draw inspiration from both rococo and colonial styles.
Those artists are celebrated in this exhibition at Hazelhurst Arts Centre, which includes painting, sculpture, design and fashion. Highlights include Deborah Kelly’s provocative collage works, which give female figures from art history more agency over their body and presentation; Esme Timbery’s colourful slippers, intricately covered in shells as a memorial to the Stolen Generations; and Joan Ross’s video work which reenacts colonisation as an all-Aussie picnic.