Contemporary Showcase VI

In this latest group exhibition by CAS Members, several works show that you don't have to be big to make an impact. As you enter the café there is Sea Witch by Deidre Edwards. A small but intriguing work that caught my eye across from the hustle and bustle of the front counter. Another example is Betty Collier's Evolving Flora whose forms looked, to me, to be mutating towards something more sentient. There is also the coral fringed thongs in Australian Coral I by Karen Foley, the energetic colours and forms in Deep Sea by Antoinetta Sanfilippo and the quiet dignity of Valda Cuming's two pieces - Homage to a Lost Tree, Ricketts Point and Ricketts Point Tree Study.

Moving on to slightly larger works, Pastoral by Graham Edwards glows serenely over the kitchen hatchway on the ground floor. Nearby are Escarpment and Reaching Out by Robyn Pridham. The strength of these thoughtful mixed media pieces enables them to work well against the dark red café wall.

Following on the mixed media theme, if you like a bit of collage (and I do), Brigitta Wolfram's Black Milk and Transmigration, upstairs, are also worth seeing. I like how the bits of ripped paper in various media come together with the judicious application of paint. Even shiny pieces of manufactured paper are handled well so they don't steal the show.

There is plenty more to see in the exhibition of 27 works by 15 artists, in a variety of sizes and media. There are impressions of sailboats, several works relating to nature and the landscape, a zooming cyclist and 2 little naked ladies. Also the café has my seal of approval for serving tea in a teapot.

 Reviewed by Shelley Vincent