The Contemporary Art Society of Victoria Inc. presents ...
A4 Art Australia 2025 at the Herring Island Gallery
March 1-2, 8-10, 15-16, 29-30; April 5-6, 12-13, 18-21
Review by Susan Gustafson
The opening of the 12th A4 Art Australia exhibition was held on Herring Island, located in South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria. The Gallery opened at 11.00am on Saturday 1 March, the weather was perfect, and we had a steady flow of visitors at this time, with our first sale at 11.30am. Art enthusiasts, which included families and children and hiking groups, dropped in to enjoy the art, and continued throughout the day. Finger food and refreshments were served during the opening, which ran from 1pm to 3pm.
A small section of the opening crowd on 1 March
Guests enjoying refreshments in the courtyard
The President of Contemporary Art Society of Victoria (established 1938), Robert Lee, welcomed everybody at the Gallery. Robert thanked the volunteers and committee members who generously gave their time to set up the exhibition. The Contemporary Art Society of Victoria is a non-profit art Society run by a small team of artist-volunteers.
President Robert Lee opening the exhibition
One of our much valued volunteers
A4 Art Australia gives artists an opportunity to exhibit their artwork, at a low cost. It is open to artists all over Australia. This year we have a total of 508 artworks, including 22 sculptures. 165 artists are represented at this year’s exhibition. By the end of the day, we had sold 15 works – on top of the 5 previously bought by our framing and hanging helpers.
East wall and some of the sculptures
The variety and standard of work this year is exceptional. The range of subject matter and media used, covers everything from animals, architecture, seascapes, landscapes, flowers, portraits, figure studies, abstract, abstract expressionism. Mediums include watercolour, oils, acrylic, collage, fabrics and stitching, inks, etchings, linocuts, pastels, photography, gold leaf, aquatint, and much more.
Facing the East wall
Peter Hastwell entered 4 linocuts of birds. His delicate hand water-coloured linocuts were fresh and joyful. I loved Jyothi Mohan’s ‘Basket of Fish’, a beautifully detailed composition in watercolour. Rebecca Ryan’s whimsical and intricately detailed hand-coloured etchings were refreshing to see again this year. My favourite is ‘Sweet Dreams’. See for yourself and find your favourites.
This exhibition is well worth a visit. To date we have sold 44 artworks, so there are still plenty available. All works are on show till the exhibition ends. Come along with your friends or family and enjoy a relaxed day out.
Approaching the jetty at Herring Island
Herring Island also offers bush walks, undercover BBQs, a grassy oval for the kids to play on, and permanent outdoor sculptures. The gallery is air conditioned, providing welcome relief on hot days, and people can help themselves to chilled water and cordial.