Join JCG Curator Lia McKnight, with artists Sandra Black, Susan Flavell and Warrick Palmateer, for a discussion about their artworks in the current exhibition at John Curtin Gallery, Dirt Feeling, hear about the artists' recent creative practices.

About the Artists

Sandra Black is an artist whose practice has evolved over more than two decades, marked by continual reinvention and exploration. Her creative journey has been shaped by international residencies in Canada in 2008, China between 2010 and 2018, and India in 2015, where she experimented with new materials and techniques, inspiring fresh bodies of work. Sandra’s formative years on a dairy farm in East Gippsland in Victoria, fostered a deep connection with nature, which remains central to her art. Her mark making draws inspiration from landscapes, Art Deco, film, science fiction, Japanese and Chinese ceramics, and marine life, especially corals and fish. Experiences in Queensland’s Daintree rainforest provided inspiration for a series of carved and pierced works, and recent travels through Western Australia’s Pilbara region have opened new landscapes both stunningly beautiful but under threat from mining and climate change.

Sandra’s work reflects on environmental fragility and resilience, influenced by the harsh summers and industrial landscapes of southern Western Australia. She explores organic forms—plants, trees, and marine structures—alongside the impact of industrial manufacturing, combining these elements in her surface decoration and shapes. Her fascination with translucency, illumination, and reflection continues, as she seeks to express both the vulnerability and tenacity of life through porcelain carving and piercing.

Susan Flavell is an accomplished artist with over 40 years of experience. Through her diverse practice, Flavell explores themes of animals, nature, the environment, the unconscious, the fantastic, the monstrous, and the mythical. Her art speaks to our collective connection to the environment and the importance of sustainable practices. Her extensive artistic journey, commitment to her craft and teaching history have established her as a prominent figure in the Western Australian art world.

Warrick Palmateer is an Australian ceramic artist best known for his monumental wheel-thrown vessels, inspired by the Western Australian coastline.

He graduated with an Advanced Diploma in Studio Ceramics from Perth Technical College (now North Metropolitan TAFE) in 1988 and completed a Bachelor of Fine Art Degree at Curtin University in 1999. This was followed by a Diploma of Education at Curtin University in 2003.

His work is currently on show at the Wanneroo Regional Arts Centre in an exhibition titled Present in the Current alongside works by Matthew Bettinaglio and Lee Jessamine.

Warrick has also collaborated with Pippin Drysdale, for over 35 years during which time he has been exclusively responsible for the manual production of her open and closed forms, all hand thrown on the potter’s wheel in her Fremantle studio.

Currently Warrick is working with Pippin on a major survey exhibition that will document 40 years of Pippin’s ceramic practice as well as showcase a new body of work that has been created in 2025. This exhibition will be held at the Art Gallery of Western Australia, opening in December 2025.

Banner images:

Portrait of Sandra Black, photo supplied by artist.

Portrait of Susan Flavell, photo by Ezra Alcantra.

Portrait of Warrick Palmateer, photo by Helen Margaret Connor.

Photography

This event will be photographed and/or videoed and images will occasionally be used for promotional and marketing purposes, including social media. If you do not wish to be photographed or videoed, please notify staff at event registration.

Accessibility

Everyone is welcome at the John Curtin Gallery. Plan your visit to the John Curtin Gallery.

Contact the host of Dirt Feeling: Artist Talks with Sandra Black, Susan Flavell, and Warrick Palmateer

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