RENOWNED Sale-based artist, Annemieke Mein said a recurring dream haunts her the night before the opening of her art exhibitions.
It goes like this.
“At the opening night (of my exhibitions) the only people who turn up at the gallery are the director, Phillip (husband), and me.
“The gallery is totally empty, and we all stand there and look at each other, and then I wake up in a sweat.”
The opening night of the Gippsland Art Gallery’s newest blockbuster exhibition, Annemieke Mein: A Life’s Work, was the complete antithesis of this nightmare.
More than 350 people, some travelling from Australia-wide, gathered last Friday night (March 1 ) at the Gippsland Art Gallery, standing as the most comprehensive showcase ever dedicated to the artworks of the internationally acclaimed textile artist Annemieke Mein OAM.
A further 1000 visitors attended the opening across the weekend.
Simon Gregg, the director of the Gallery said he was “thrilled” with the response to the exhibition so far, which has generated more interest than any other show in the gallery’s history.
“Crowds just love Annemieke’s work, and they have flocked to her exhibitions for over 40 years now, so we’re excited to be able to present this major retrospective exhibition of Annemieke’s artwork to coincide with her 80th birthday this April,” he said.
“People love her work because it’s really accessible for all ages. Her subjects of animals and insects connect with visitors, and of course people are just blown away by Annemieke’s sewing and stitching techniques.”
Wellington Shire Mayor, Ian Bye who spoke at the opening night, highlighted the benefits the shire will reap, as over 25,000 visitors are expected to come to Sale over the course of the exhibition’s 12-week run from March 2 until May 26.
Cr Bye said the anticipated economic windfall to the community will be $5.2 million.
As well as putting “Gippsland on the world stage”, Cr Bye commended Ms Mein’s contribution to environmental conservation.
“Rarely do we witness one artist so wholly contributing to building awareness around the importance of the environment and conserving Gippsland’s natural heritage,” Cr Bye said.
“Her work has sparked important conversations around preserving Australia’s Indigenous species.
“For what she achieves for Gippsland in the arts and in environmental conservation, I’d like to thank Annemieke.”
In 1988, Ms Mein was honoured with an Order of Australia Medal for her contributions to art and her advocacy for environmental causes.
A Life’s Work spans 60 years of Ms Mein’s art, from her first experiments with textile in the 1960s, through to the masterworks from the 1980s that catapulted her to international acclaim.
The exhibition showcases the full range of Ms Mein’s artmaking with three-dimensional sculptures, drawings, paintings, and bas-relief bronzes presented alongside the extraordinary wall-based textiles that established her reputation, in which the objects are given sculptural form and appear to project forward from the surface of the canvas.
Ms Mein said she had not seen some of the artworks for decades and expressed her gratitude to their caretakers, who are generously lending them to the gallery for the next three months.
Born in 1944 in The Netherlands, Annemieke Mein migrated to Australia in 1951.
Ms Mein holds the distinction of being the first textile artist to become a member of both the Wildlife Art Society of Australasia and the Australian Guild of Realist Artists.
Her sculpted textiles depict a diverse range of subjects, from birds, frogs, and fish to intricate portrayals of insects like moths, dragonflies, wasps, and grasshoppers.
Ms Mein’s deep appreciation for insects is evident in her highly detailed works, often showcasing normally imperceptible colours and textures, providing fresh perspectives on the everyday natural world.
The highly detailed works which Ms Mein typically works on one at a time are a labour of love and time.
Ms Mein told the Gippsland Times that her longest and most challenging textile took nearly 30 years to complete.
The Owlet Nightjar is a piece which she started in 1996 and finished during the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2021.
The detailed applique and machine embroidery was inspired by an owlet nightjar nesting in a hollow log at Ms Mein’s bush block along Blackall Creek near Stratford.
It is a captivating piece, lifelike in its depiction.
Ms Mein even said she made it so that the eyes follow you as you observe it from different angles.
The celebration of her life’s work, Ms Mein said, was an overwhelming moment.
“Sometimes I think I’m dreaming, sometimes I need to just pinch myself to check that its real,” she said.
“When I think back to stepping on the tarmac in Australia as a frightened, bewildered, young girl unable to speak English 73 years ago, the journey to tonight has been amazing.”
The A Life’s Work exhibition coincides with the publication of a new book on Annemieke Mein – the first since 1992’s The Art of Annemieke Mein: Wildlife Artist in Textiles, which has sold almost half a million copies worldwide – together with a complete range of new merchandise.
The book, also titled A Life’s Work is a comprehensive overview of her work, contributed to by 16 writers.
Tickets are now on sale exclusively from www.gippslandartgallery.com, noting that visitors are not required to pre-book, and can purchase tickets from Gallery Reception on the day of their visit.
Wellington Shire residents will receive half-price tickets on presenting proof of residential status.
