“Ok let’s see! can I have a pie, sausage roll, coffee and 50 litres of diesel?……. and oh do you know where I can find a world famous artist with and outdoor gallery?” Yes! we have one of those in town said the lady at the service station counter” “That’s good news” I said, “I was beginning to worry that this town didn’t have one” as if every town in Queensland has an outdoor gallery.
This sign at the entry to Kent’s picture garden.
Now the conversation didn’t actually go like that, it was at a service station and we were buying nutritional food for the kids…. as you do at a service station, when we happened to be talking about Angnes Water attractions with the lady at the counter and she mentioned her husband had an outdoor gallery if we were interested.
Prints displayed in an outside gallery
At the time I didn’t know who Kent Barton was, which is more of an inditement on my lack or artistic knowledge than the Artist’s notoriety, so I thought this would be an interesting story.
Kent Barton started his career in graphic design working for advertising in the media industry. In 1993 he started selling his own art work and later made the sea change to Agnes Waters in Central Queensland and started his outdoor gallery. You can find out more about him from his face book site or his web site at www.kentbartonartist.com
The office where you can buy a print.
I met Kent at his property on Bicentennial Drive at Agnus Waters quite a few years ago, and I have to admit I’m not sure if the gallery is still operating. It was at the time an amazing tranquil environment where art meets nature. He has displayed his art work in carefully arranged setting on his property. From the small cricket field and stand to the turtle filled lilly pond at the bottom of the garden. Each piece of art work is carefully selected and displayed so that the viewer not only gets to admire the art but also to experience the juxtaposition between the piece and the natural environment.
Now I know what you are saying, this is starting to get very deep for a simple swaggie. But I vaguely remember a communications lecturer once saying if you can define post modernism then its not post modernism. (I just need to say up until writing this story I’ve never needed to define it, which makes me wonder why I ever needed to in the first place????)
The landscape become the juxtaposition between the art work and the image it portrays.
But in saying that, modern art displayed in an sublime natural environment may just be that definition our academic friends have been looking for.
At the bottom of the garden is a natural pond system. There is a small wooden bench chair tucked quietly into the bush setting. It’s so peaceful that all you can hear is the slight breeze in the trees and grass. It’s not to difficult to see how artists can be inspired by nature. It reminds me of another great artist in another sublime garden painting water lillies.
Like Monet the inspiration comes from the garden.
A drive out to this gallery is definitely worth the effort, while out there you can also buy a print from his shop, of if you like go online and buy a print from his web site.
Safe travels…….Digital Swaggie:)
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