Jasper Knight Metal on Metal at ecosse, Exeter

Interview

Exciting things are afoot in the tiny village of Exeter. A fancy new gallery has opened on Exeter Road in the Halcyon cottage. We spoke to owner Andre de Borde about his motivations behind waking up the sleepy village.

What was the impetus for starting a gallery in the village?

Well, it was an interesting process pulling everything together and along the way there were some very serendipitous moments. Nina and I moved to Bundanoon in the Highlands in 2007 and we have always wanted to have our own gallery space. I had been working with a number of galleries and artists in Sydney at the time, one of them being Jasper Knight. Nina had been working for Macquarie Bank Art Collection, and we had both been commuting back and forth to Sydney during this time. I had known Jasper for a number of years when I suggested to him and our mutual friend Julian Meagher that there would be great interest in a regional gallery in the Highlands, particularly in a small town like Bundanoon or Exeter. Jasper’s immediate reply was ‘I’ll open a gallery with you’. From that point we looked at Bundanoon for the right space and then we found ‘Halcyon’ was for sale in Exeter – in a fantastic location. We hope to expand our bookshop over the next few months to offer art specific publications which are difficult to find in a regular bookshop, and also expand our website to offer online purchasing.

What’s your background?

I have always been a painter. From the age of 3 or 4 I was always drawing and painting and when it came time to leave high school and do some further study I was accepted into the College of Fine Arts (UNSW) in Sydney and studied painting, drawing & printmaking and emerged with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. After university I worked for an art supply house for several years while I was exhibiting my work in Sydney and Melbourne. As fate would have it I gradually made my way towards the gallery scene in a more curatorial way and started working in galleries. Closest to my heart are Watters Gallery in East Sydney, one of Australia’s oldest art galleries who I have hung many shows with & Chalk Horse in Surry Hills which is a highly respected and successful contemporary gallery space. People keep challenging me to get back to my painting which is certainly something that is on my agenda, however I am very focused at this time as a gallery director working with a group of amazing and exciting artists.

What kind of people are you getting to the gallery and openings?

The gallery openings attract a varied crowd. Always unpredictable it seems, which keeps things exciting. We have a great number of people who make the trip down from Sydney just for an opening event which is greatly appreciated. Naturally we have a small army of artists (both emerging and established) who are regulars, as well as a host of creative people in a wide range of fields. Writers, musicians, TV personalities, designers, architects, business people and naturally art collectors and admirers.
On a local level we have received wonderful support from people from all over the Southern Highlands. We have been very warmly embraced by the local community, particularly by the Exeter villagers who Nina and I have been getting to know over the last few months. We live just 5 minutes down the road in Bundanoon and it great to work in a small town like Exeter, allowing us to meet many people in the community. Every day at the gallery is different, and we hope our small business contributes to the rich sense of community that we have here in the Highlands.

Tell us a bit about Jasper’s show.

‘Metal on Metal’ is Jaspers first solo show for 2011 and was painted specifically with the Ecosse space in mind. In considering where he would take the show Jasper felt that he would compliment some of his more familiar subject matter with themes that the Southern Highlands audience would immediately relate to. As well as steam trains, Vespas, tractors and a London Bus the resulting show encompasses some iconic spots in Exeter as well as the surrounding towns. Visitors to the gallery will see everything from the Berrima Courthouse and Gaol to the Big Merino, Moss Vale railway Bridge and Bundanoon Station. The last paintings completed for the show were larger works based on the Maltings factory in Mittagong. The Maltings plant was opened by Tooths breweries in Mittagong in 1899. Tooth and Co. was the major brewer of beer in New South Wales and was well known for brewing KB Lager. The industrial architecture and grand stature of the old brewery whilst being historically significant to the Southern Highlands also lends itself strongly to Jasper’s painting practise. Jasper has developed a very unique approach to the materials he uses in his work which deliberately reflect the architectural or industrial nature of his subjects. Specifically the public may be most familiar with his combination of enamels, coloured perspex, peg board and vintage metal signs. However more recently the artist has been using a German board that can be painted onto directly without priming which give another dimension to his enamels creating textural elements that are not achievable with the smooth surfaces of masonite and perspex.

More information can be found at www.galleryecosse.com.au or by calling the gallery 02 4883 4466