Art News

In Another Dimension

The naked human body is often considered as one of the most beautiful forms to paint or draw, an opinion Lismore-based artist Ildiko Hammond would no doubt agree with.

Ildiko currently has a new exhibition, Passion Dimension, on show at Armistead's Gallery in Lismore, which features a series of mixed media works that celebrate the beauty of the naked body.

As well as being magnificent representations of the human shape, Ildiko says the paintings become her own form of therapy, and some of the works contain pages of her personal journals, buried under layers of paint and other mediums.

"I often paint the human form because it is so beautiful, expressive and complex, " Ildiko said. "I also love working with textures and depth - building up the painting using various mediums from bitumen, plaster and shellac to wax and resin, or whatever else I feel like at the time, until it is so thick that it threatens to fall off the painting. Subconsciously my work expresses lots of emotions - passion in all its forms."

Ildiko's works often feature items that have a direct connection to the image. For instance her work Portrait of Jim features some of her husband's own dreadlocks, while in another work depicting a candelabra, Burnt Out, she has used real wax to bring the candles to life.

Ildiko has around 14 of her striking artworks on display.

Passion Dimension is on show until February 3. Armistead's Gallery is at 43b Wyrallah Road (in the Wotherspoons building). It is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm and on Saturday from 10am to 1pm.