Rural artists leave their mark

Indelible, the current exhibition at Maungatūroto’s MGTO Gallery, brings 11 artists together in celebration and exploration of the marks we leave behind.

Local artists Tatjana Panyoczki, Stephen Davies, Rudy van der Pol, Laura Worrall, Rebecca Barclay-Clist, Mike Hooton, Gunsmoke, Erika Hüsselmann, Catrin Frires, Geoff Ruthe and guest artist Daniel Tohill have each responded to a single idea: the permanence of a mark that cannot be washed away or erased.

Indelible is about honouring that mark, whether through etching, drawing, carving or any practice associated with mark-making.

“For some of us it was literal, and for others it was about the mark that people, memories and places have left on us,” artist Mike Hooton says.

The result is a diverse collection of works, with each artist bringing their own perspective to the theme.

Curators Stephen Davies and Laura Worrall have given each piece space to speak for itself.

Indelible is also a reflection of what MGTO Gallery set out to achieve when the collective was established last year.

“For me, it was about bringing working artists together in community, who often find themselves working in isolation, and creating a contemporary space in which to show our work to a local audience,” Worrall says.

MGTO is a gallery with a difference. Rather than operating solely as a commercial exhibition space, it runs as a collective, with the artists themselves taking turns behind the gallery desk.

That means visitors have the opportunity to meet the people who create the work, ask questions and hear directly about their creative process.

Exhibition opening nights are also a hit with the locals.

“I always look forward to the new exhibitions. It’s awesome to have a place to meet up with my friends, admire the new pieces and chat to the artists,” Maungatūroto local Christelle Hynd says.

MGTO Gallery is located at 136 Hurndall St, Maungatūroto. Indelible runs until November 29. The gallery is open Friday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm, with extended Friday hours until 7pm this month.