Fantastic Forms: Curator Talk with Sophie O'Brien

Join Sophie O'Brien, co-curator and Bundanon’s Head of Curatorial and Learning, for an afternoon talk exploring the exhibition Fantastic Forms.

Fantastic Forms celebrates the vibrant creative practice of Merric Boyd (1888-1959), an artist who is often referred to as the father of Australian studio pottery. The exhibition presents Boyd’s idiosyncratic approach to artmaking through drawings and ceramics in conversation with work by three contemporary artists – Nabilah Nordin’s sculptural forms, Stephen Benwell’s delicate earthenware figures and energetic stop-motion videos by emerging Bundjalung artist Rubyrose Bancroft.

Fantastic Forms co-curator Sophie O'Brien leads a lively tour through the exhibition, discussing ways these artists’ very different creative approaches connect across the years with Boyd’s dynamic practice and philosophies of art and life. 

Hero Image: Stephen Benwell, Red, Stocking and Dancer 2022, earthenware with porcelain slip, dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist and LON Gallery. Photo: Tim Gresham.

Additional information:

Location: Ipswich Art Gallery is located in the heart of the Ipswich CBD. Our public entrance is in d’Arcy Doyle Place, a pedestrian section of Nicholas Street between Brisbane and Limestone Streets.

Parking: The Gallery does not have its own parking, however there is metered on-street parking on Limestone Street, Nicholas Street and Brisbane Street. Street parking is free on the weekends; please check signs for details.  Ipswich CBD Parking (beneath Tulmur Place in the Nicholas Street Precinct) offers free parking for up to 3 hours. On weekends parking is free. The car park entry is located on Bremer Street which runs parallel to the Bremer River.

Public Transport:  The Gallery is a short walk from the Ipswich Railway Station as well as bus stops. If travelling by train, alight at Ipswich Station. The Gallery is a 4-minute walk from the station. Walk left up Bell Street, right onto Brisbane Street and left onto d’Arcy Doyle Place. Visit TRANSlink for service and timetable information.