May 4, 2016
Hivesville artist Shannus O’Sullivan will be taking over the Kingaroy Art gallery in May with his 40th one-man show,
Shannus has a reputation that extends far beyond the South Burnett.
He studied at Julian Ashton’s School of Art in Sydney in the late 1950s and early 1960s alongside the late Brett Whiteley.
He then went on to the Australian National Art School in Darlinghurst where he studied under a number of well-known artists including Harold Abbott, John Coburn, John Olsen, Lindsay Churchland, Jeffrey Makin and Rodney Milgate.
Shannus’ new exhibition continues his well-known themes but also includes new ideas, including a satirical attack on plans to mine Kingaroy for coal.
Two paintings cover this topic, ‘The Hole’ which is a cataclysmic look at some future remnant Kingaroy identifiable only by its iconic silos, and a yawning underworld, which threatens to overwhelm the entire landscape.
A companion piece to ‘The Hole’ is ‘Bella Vista – Kingaroy’ where the focus is on a bulldozer ripping out a dividing fence as the battle for Kingaroy commences.
Both pieces are hung on the Red Wall at the Gallery to heighten the dramatic tension.
Less serious, but just as thought-provoking, is ‘Putting Out The Cat’ which begs the question whether there really is a New World Order or even a global village.
The exhibition will be running throughout May.
The official opening will be held on Saturday (May 7) at 1:30pm.
