BLACK – a coal case
Cessnock Regional Art Gallery
11 August – 18 September 2011

Coal: in a place like Cessnock it is underfoot, in the blood and even on the lungs.

Black – a coal case at Cessnock Regional Art gallery is a fluid weaving of our local heritage, told through the unique interpretations of contemporary artists. Within their distinct and diverse imaginings are the revelations of a past driven by mineral explorations, technological advancements and a rare sense of brotherhood.

While  the ‘Valley of the Hunter’ was once intersected by rich coal veins, that wealth and the means of production have shifted. Sir Edgeworth David may have predicted the use and value of the Greta coal seam, but his foresight draws short as to what comes next?

A weaving of past, present and future, BLACK – a coal case acknowledges a rich history while critiquing and considering the future.

 Artists:

Angelica Mesiti, Stephen James, David Hampton, Harrie Fasher, Liam Power, Sarah Smuts-Kennedy

This exhibition was made possible through the Sidney Myer Curatorial Mentorship initiative administered by NAVA (National Association of Visual Arts).

As well as:

ArtsNSW, Cessnock City Council, The State Library of New South Wales, Maunsell and Wicks at Barry Stern Gallery, Sophie Gannon Gallery, Gallery Barry Kedoulis, Pooles Rock Wines, Richmond Vale Rale Museum, Newcastle Regional Art Gallery, Uniter Mineworker’s Federation of Australia- Northern District.