Filomena Roberts
Art by Kathy - pencil drawing and acrylic paintings, using various techniques including Fluid Art (no brush), 2022 to 2024
in the Budgeon’s display case, foyer Richmond Library
415 Church Street, Richmond
9 July to 29 September 2024
Report by Carmel Ritchie
Artist’s statement:
“ I like to work across a few different methods for my pictures. Sometimes I use pen and ink, collage, pastels, watercolour or acrylics and other media including photography and photoshop (which I’m bad at, but don’t let it stop me). I like to use paper and also in the past 8 years or so since I did the Create course at NCAT, I also have made some on canvas.
Filomena Roberts with her display in Richmond Library
I love Impressionism, Dadaism, Surrealism, Theatre of the Absurd and I am inspired by Cy Twombly and Sharon Brant to just keep going. I love political cartoons, how they get to the point of the story in an amusing or pithy way and I aspire to do that in some of my pictures. I like painting or drawing “people pictures”, political commentary, climate issues, real estate or sometimes just patterns - dots - or other and using electronic resistors to tell a story, such as in “Ukrainian resistors”, or “Every conflict ever”, sometimes out and about walking the dog I’ll see a pattern in the concrete or on the road that catches my eye, or I’ll pick up rusty nails or objects, then I wonder what to do with them!“
Artist cards in Filomena’s display
Artist cards in Filomena’s display
Filomina has an extensive art history considering her first entry was in 2011. Her work is quite original and loaded with meaning. Her use of everyday tools and objects is as refreshing as her reasoning for those representations.
Abstracted Billy Buttons, acrylic on paper, 53 x 42 cm, by Filomena Roberts
Her work on paper has an invitingly flat tone and simple shapes defined with colour and shadows. They are harmonious.
However her 3D works have more grunt! Fancy framing a hammer, nails, wires and more?
It is interesting, I find, that she can use any object and create a reason for it to be regarded as art.
Sculpture nails, screws & embroidery thread, 28 x 23 cm, by Filomena Roberts
Sculpture hammer and nail, found objects, embroidery thread, 28 x 23 cm, by Filomena Roberts
Filomina’s work has detail that requires the viewer to stop and search the picture for more information. Why is it so? One could ask.
Every Conflict Ever, ink, electrical resistors, embroidery thread on paper, 34 x 34 cm, by Filomena Roberts
Ukrainian Resistors, electrical resistors & embroidery thread on canvas, 20 x 25 cm, by Filomena Roberts
Filomena’s work brought a smile to my face as I enjoyed looking deeply into her work, and mind.
“Stop Press! Woman ignores $12 bulb!”, photograph, 28 x 23 cm, by Filomena Roberts
Art should challenge and also relate to the viewer. It should get their brain, heart and memory ticking and forcing a relationship to that art.
Well done.