Eve Lamb
A new art exhibition that’s just gone up at Castlemaine’s Taproom is raising funds to help people impacted by the war in Ukraine.
Simply titled 71, this bold, bright showing features large-scale architectural deconstructivist works by well-established Castlemaine artist Phillip Head.
“They’re all a play on deconstructing architecture of the same Bendigo building – No 71,” he says of the works rendered in acrylics and collage.
Particularly known for his portraiture, Head said he was inspired to donate 100 per cent of sales from 71 while working on the pieces and seeing news reports on the Ukrainian destruction.
That process got him thinking about the brutal ‘deconstruction’ of architecture affected by the violence of war – and the decision to donate that followed this musing was a “no-brainer” he said.
It’s a cause close to the heart of Castlemaine’s Callum Stanley, who by coincidence runs the Print Together printing business at The Mill complex – just a few doors distant from The Taproom.
For the past decade or so Stanley has employed Serj Korchma, a Ukrainian-based web developer who, together with his wife and baby child, has now been forced to flee his home town of Kharkiv near the Russian border.
Moved by the plight of his long-time employee and receiving regular personal updates on the horrific impacts of the violence, Stanley has, for many weeks now, been donating five per cent of all Print Together’s earnings to help impacted Ukrainians.
“Serj sends us reports and photos of what the money has been been buying – things like medicines, clothes, food,” he said.
The Taproom’s Jacqueline Brodie-Hanns said all were welcome to attend the exhibition’s official launch this Thursday from 6pm.
“We’re really excited to be able to support the Ukrainian people. It was Phillip’s idea,” she said.
Thursday evening’s launch will feature a live dance performance by Eden Swan and live music by violinist Nic Lyon, with Head himself also expected to say a word or two.
