Exhibition Opening: Galina Munroe | Orville

Please join us in celebrating the opening of British-French artist Galina Munroe's first Australian solo, 'Orville'.

A recent summer residency in Albi, Southern France, has allowed Galina Munroe the freedom to take a step back from the academic reasoning that has framed her early work. Instead, 'Orville' presents an earnest yet playful exploration of the formal principles of painting, uninhibited by the need for rigid concept. Having said that, the notion of creation vs. destruction is one conceptual trope that remains evident in her distinctive compositions, often constructed from a framework of collaged, repurposed canvas.

Although her process is organic, Munroe's paintings tend to have a somewhat architectural bent. Curious about “the notion of in-between-ness”, her often top-heavy compositions are buttressed by spindly beams connecting the ground to the sky and framing the negative space within. In other works, neatly collaged strips of raw-edged canvas make for a geometric framework that contrasts strikingly with Munroe’s painterly surfaces and whimsical palette.

“I don’t apply restrictions to my painting. I let it ebb and flow. I embrace weakness and misunderstandings during the process and I tell myself it’s going to be ok, enjoy the ride and the painting will get where it needs to be when I’m ready to get it there.” - Galina Munroe