10 August 2016 – 10 September 2016
RIVERS AND ROADS
Hawkesbury Regional Gallery will celebrate its fifth anniversary with an exhibition titled Rivers and Roads on Wednesday, 7 May – very fitting since the Hawkesbury gets its name and its identity from the Hawkesbury River; and, with an area of approximately 2,800 square kilometres, it also has more than its fair share of roads.
Ashley Cooper is best known for his sketches of old Sydney, including the construction of the Harbour Bridge and of the many buildings that were demolished to make way for it. But he also painted beautiful landscapes, including Hawkesbury scenes painted during weekends away with his family. See more
In 1954 the Coopers retired to their 50 acre property on the Colo River at Lower Portland, attracted by the natural bush setting and also by its proximity to the historic towns of Windsor and Richmond. Ashley became founding president of the Macquarie Towns Art Society, which he led until his death in 1970, aged 81. The society is still very active today. (MTAS)
Ashley’s grandson, Charles (b.1952), brings a contemporary perspective to similar themes. Like Ashley, he is inspired by both the built and the natural environments, but in ways that can appear almost abstract. Charles studied at the Julian Ashton School of Art, Sydney and has a Graduate Diploma and Masters of Visual Art from the City Art Institute, Sydney College of Advanced Education. He has recently held solo exhibitions at the Annandale Galleries and the Tin Sheds Gallery, University of Sydney.
Download exhibition catalogue [2.9MB]
