Solas

Solas is an Irish Gaelic word for light, the agent that illuminates and makes visible all around us. In this series of works by Marie Salinger, light is notable for both its presence and absence. The largest paintings seem to burst with light, while in other, smaller works light is only evident in glimmers. This variation signifies moments of joy, times of profound grief, and the space in between where complex human emotions exist side by side – a liminal space of interest to the artist. Similarly, the paintings in Solas sit in a liminal space between figuration and abstraction. The works depict the landscapes of North East Victoria in macro and micro ways; they look to the vast ranges and plains as much as to the cracks  between granite and the carvings of scribbly gum moths, often layering this imagery in a single painting. Through this layering and a process of editing, the works  become harder to read as landscapes as they move toward non-representative paintings. However, much like the relationships between human emotions in the works, the paintings seek to hold multiple ways of being in tension.The exhibition concludes with a series of darker, more contemplative paintings accompanied by a sound work by artist and composer Dan West. In this space audiences are invited to take time for active pause and reflection. The sound work has been produced by West in collaboration with Salinger, specifically for this exhibition and space, drawing elements from recordings at Salinger’s studio and the surrounding environment.

Marie Salinger is a visual artist based in North East Victoria. Her creative practice

incorporates painting, drawing, printmaking, collage, and photography.

Dan West is Dan West is a musician, sound artist and community collaborator based

in Naarm / Melbourne.

Michael Moran, 

Head of Curatorial and Collections

Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA)

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Murray Art Museum Albury, image by Jeremy Weihrauch