The MCM exhibition combines the work of Emma Lipscombe and Natalie Rosin in a celebration and exploration of Palm Springs inspired mid-century modern style. Natalie explains, ‘Saint Cloche brought us together, being two artists working in different mediums, and living on opposite coasts of Australia.’ She highlights ‘it is wonderful to be given the opportunity to meet and learn from other artists through existing opportunities such as these.’
This mid-century matchmaking between Emma and Natalie rests on both artists’ shared exploration of the built environment and architectural shapes in their work. For Natalie, who trained as an architect, the Palm Springs reference offered an opportunity to play with form, and experiment with the signature shape of the breeze block. For Emma, whose day job is as a landscape architect, MCM provided the chance to dive into the aesthetics of the era.
Emma highlights how the work in MCM is a departure from her usual colourful style, where she wanted to keep her palette ‘limited and simple, with some occasional gold.’ Emma’s Perth studio offered a similar quality of light to the California skies of Palm Springs, and she ‘wanted to reference both the era and the colours I knew so well.’
For Natalie, the MCM exhibition presented an opportunity to play with a more textured material palette, and introduce pops of colour through new glazes. The exhibition also sees Natalie’s work installed on the walls of the galley, with new ceramic wall lights.
Opening night will feature a guest speaker by architect Sam Marshall, whose obsession with breezeblocks (he has a book coming out on the topic, and his Instagram handle is @breezeblockhead) makes him a highly appropriate enthusiast to welcome the event!
MCM by Natalie Rosin and Emma Lipscombe
February 20th to March 3rd
Saint Cloche
37 MacDonald Street
Paddington NSW
