'The Good' Place: Granville Centre unveils after-dark Arts program

The Granville Centre Art Gallery has this week announced its participation in the upcoming 'Granville Nights' initiative, celebrating art, music, food and community with a number of unique displays, kicking off with 'The Good' next Thursday, November 30.

The Good is a major new solo exhibition by artist Anna Louise Richardson whose practice is centred around rural life, embedded in the experience and drama of everyday reality. Working primarily in charcoal and graphite large scale drawings, Richardson’s work explores ideas of intergenerational exchange, parenthood and identity based on her experiences of living and working on a multi-generation beef cattle farm in rural Australia.

The Good emerges from Richardson’s broader investigations into the complex relationships between humans and the natural world, tinged by grief and the competing demands of nurturing new life. In a world increasingly defined by division and hardship, Richardson’s work points to the necessary act of radical optimism needed to seek goodness in all things.

“My work is autobiographical, chronicling my life through the objects around me, objects that are steeped in meaning and memory, yet are present in many peoples realities," says Richardson.

"The scale of my drawings bring their stories to life. I hope that The Good will bring something familiar to audiences nationwide and spark a connection between my life and theirs. Together we can see the good in all things.”

Curators Rachel Arndt and Lee-Anne Hall explained further: “The Good is the culmination of Western Australian artist Anna Louise Richardson’s explorations into her layered relationships with the natural world, coloured by love, loss and the complexities of nurturing new life as a young mother, while living on her family’s multi-generational farm on Whadjuk Nyoongar Boodja (Country).

"Richardson’s work has incredible resonance to communities across the country, many who have experienced prolonged periods of hardship. The Good is both catalyst and opportunity for audiences across the country to explore what the ‘good’ means within the lives of individuals, families and communities.”

The first Granville Nights event will also include a live DJ, workshops, story time and food options from local vendors. Those who are unable to attend but are still interested will be pleased to know that further dates have already been confirmed:

Thursday, November 30
Thursday, December 7
Friday, January 19
Friday, February 2