Opening Speech by Humphrey Clegg, Assistant Director of the Art Gallery of Ballarat

“When speaking with Therese about her exhibition, what became very clear to me was this idea of the circular nature of human experience. To put it simply, we spoke of love, life, gardens, and of course art and the interconnectedness of these rather grand themes.

So first, gardens, a subject I adore. Therese’s garden, and the natural world, is a clear influence upon her practice and the works in the exhibition. Flowers, trees and water abound.

Indeed gardens have been a source of inspiration throughout history. There is the Garden of Eden which dates from around the 10th Century BCE; The Hanging Gardens of Babylon from the 7th Century BCE, through to the Garden of Hesperides first recorded in 8th Century BCE, whose golden apples brought immortality and were guarded by nymphs and a dragon; and Homer’s Elysian Fields from the 5th Century BCE where the virtuous dead rested in glorious eternity.

What I love most about gardens, is that they are both real and imaginary places. And this duality is very much part of Therese’s practice, as she borrows the motifs and symbols of her external garden, that are so familiar to us, and uses them to project an internal space or experience. Most particularly in this exhibition, the experience of love, intimacy and connection. There is certainly a sense of magic in all of this, something unexplainable. Our gardens are safe spaces which makes them places where we can experiment, where we play with both colour and design, and others. Where we can be ourselves too. Much like love itself, a garden is a sanctuary that needs to be cultivated.

As we are told in Therese’s artists statement, she is a classically trained painter and there is clear and deep appreciation for her practice and her medium through these works. The lush greens, blues and the delicate pinks, reds and whites of the oil paints are just as decadent as their real-life counterpart.

And I have to say, I really love the works on paper, again the inherent intimacy of the medium perfectly embodies the delicate connections of souls that float across these works. Paper is such a beautiful object in itself, and Therese’s gentle and suggestive use of watercolour, and the dance between silhouettes writes volumes of love stories in our minds as they remind us of the most magical of human experiences.

It is almost like these stories can only happen in gardens. As Adam and Eve illustrate, gardens are places that are often just for us, where the rest of the world disappears. Where we can be us, together.

So, can I finish, by quoting one of the great artists of the 21st century, who captures this sense of intimacy, place and passion: Taylor Swift, with her song Lover:

We could leave the Christmas lights up ‘til January

This is our place, we make the rules

And there’s a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you, dear

Have I known you 20 seconds or 20 years?

Can I go where you go?

Can we always be this close forever and ever?

And ah, take me out, and take me home

You’re my, my, my, my

Lover

I hope you all enjoy this beautiful exhibition as much as I do.”