General News
27 April, 2023
Diggers memorial exhibition set to feature at gallery
A unique representation of Victoria’s Digger memorials will be put on display tomorrow as the Central Goldfields Art Gallery debuts its latest exhibition. Five years in the making, artist Clayton Tremlett documented and researched memorials in the...
A unique representation of Victoria’s Digger memorials will be put on display tomorrow as the Central Goldfields Art Gallery debuts its latest exhibition.
Five years in the making, artist Clayton Tremlett documented and researched memorials in the state to transform them into a series of screen prints for his upcoming showcase — Immortals.
The ongoing project will feature the faces of 54 Digger memorials at Maryborough’s gallery and upon completion in October 2024, the exhibition will be displayed at the Shrine of Remembrance with a total of 65 prints.
“Immortals is a comprehensive portrait study of memorials in Victoria, which has not been undertaken before. It’s a research project as well as a condition report on the state of the memorials,” Mr Tremlett said.
“I’m really pleased to see these works as a group of portraits together — I’m also excited to have the opportunity to have this exhibition here at Maryborough’s recently reopened gallery, it’s a beautiful new contemporary space.
“I'm really pleased with how the show’s coming together.”
Mr Tremlett said his work encourages viewers to understand how these memorials were individually formed to represent respective communities.
“Every time I went to a small regional community, I would see in the centre of the town a Digger figure, and I started paying attention to them individually — then I realised that they were all uniquely different and so I decided to make a series of artworks that ties all of these disparate works together,” he said.
“There’s still a misconception that these memorials were mass produced but [that’s not true].
“I hope that people enjoy this comparative portrait study — the way that the images have been fabricated is meant to represent the faces and rehumanise them.”
Included among the portraits is one which focuses on Maryborough’s memorial built in 1926 which is located at McLandress Square as well as another one from Clunes erected four years prior, in 1921.
The Immortals exhibition will be officially opened by councillor Geoff Lovett tomorrow at 2 pm at the Central Goldfields Art Gallery on 1 Neill Street and entry is free, with refreshments provided.