BUT FOR THE MOON NOBODY COULD SEE US
Prints, drawings, postcard collages, and artists’ books, at Imp Gallery.
Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
But for the moon nobody could see us
2008
78 drawings and 55 collages
Exhibited
Saturday 30th of August – Sunday 21st of September, 2008
Imp Gallery, above Greville St Bookstore, 145 Greville St, Prahran
Thank-you to Jurate Sasnaitis, Brita Frost and Emily Kiddell of Imp Gallery for having us.Thank you to Georgia Cribb of NETS Victoria and Peter Haby of the Hawks Museum for your expert cabinet hunting and gathering. Thank you to Colin & Margaret of Frame Spot for your framing expertise. Thank you to Elaine & Peter Haby, and Susan & John Jennison for your every little thing, always. Thank you to Alexandra Hedberg, Carolyn Fraser, LALA dex press, and Andrea Lampman for sending a handful of postcards and photographic ephemera our way, and thank you to all our dear friends and family for taking an interest in what we make and do.
Around the Galleries
Ashley Crawford
The Age A2, Saturday, 6th of September, 2008
This quirky collaborative show carries an air of nostalgia about it. A part of this is the choice of materials. The hallway of the gallery features 32 postcard-sized collages by Haby that could have sprung from the studios of the surrealists, while the collaborative artists' books hover in their perspex shelters like timeless museum pieces.
Visual Arts
Penny Modra
The Sunday Age, M, Sunday, 7th of September, 2008
Evidently the moon had its crepuscular rays trained upon IMP gallery last week, because I could see this exhibition as soon as I walked in the door. Gracia Haby and Louise Jennison use paper as their primary medium, presenting collage, watercolours, lithographic offset prints and artist books in this new show. It’s lovely, and there's not much more to say. OK then, lovely in the way that old Europe is lovely. Nice like a pair of Turkish slippers and a postcard in the mail. Quirky like a leopard in a lounge-room full of antiques. Unlike other collaborative duos, Haby and Jennison don’t manifest a productive tension. They manifest productive agreement — that vintage postcards are good, but they're even better with a cut-out beaver stuck on. That wordy titles are charming; Something mighty peculiar was afoot but I was hard-pressed to say for certain what it was.
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RELATED POSTS,
BUT FOR THE MOON NOBODY COULD SEE US (ALBUM)
A LOOSE ARCHIVE OF POSTS REFERENCING THE EXHIBITION ON HIGH UP IN THE TREES BY GRACIA,
AUGUST 2008
SEPTEMBER 2008
A LOOSE ARCHIVE OF POSTS REFERENCING THE EXHIBITION ON ELSEWHERE BY LOUISE,
AUGUST 2008
SEPTEMBER 2008
LIST OF WORKS
GALLERY ONE
Clockwise from door
(On wall) From left to right
Looking for options (I)
Looking for options (II)
Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
2008
Watercolour, pencil and collage on Fabriano traditional white 640gsm paper
(In cabinet)
Objects gathered with care from recent reads (I)
Objects gathered with care from recent reads (II)
Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
2008
Artists’ books
Some icebergs with their companions
Some icebergs with lights
Some icebergs
Louise Jennison
2008
Original artists’ books, watercolour and pencil on Aquarelle Arches 100% pure cotton hot pressed 300gsm paper
Building a makeshift tipi by Vermillion Lake
At first all was not clear
Gracia Haby
2008
Collage on postcard
(On wall)
A fine balancing act went unnoticed
Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
2008
Four colour lithographic offset print on Lana Aquarelle satin 300gsm paper
And we stood alone in the silent night
Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
2008
Artists’ book
The best cover still proved Egyptian artefacts and treasure from Troy
Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
2008
Four colour lithographic offset print on Lana Aquarelle satin 300gsm paper
(In small cabinet on ledge)
Objects gathered with care from recent reads (III)
Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
2008
Artists’ Book
Loosely placed 1–4 (left to right)
Louise Jennison
2008
Watercolour and pencil on Fabriano traditional white 640gsm
HALLWAY
From left to right
Talking to me in a long forgotten tongue
Feeling at ease
Moving forward ought to seem like the easiest thing but today was proving the opposite
Looking and not finding
I found myself suddenly alone
Casting shadows longer than the trees could ever hope to
A chance sighting
We may not be able to see the moon from here but we know it hangs high above
Mind how you go in the capital
All were in attendance
Making a circle, almost
A fine balancing act (II)
When in doubt it often helps to start at the beginning
Tiny monuments
A fine balancing act (I)
Obsidian this size is hard to come across
An aardvark tentatively crosses Lake Louise for seven years good luck
A smooth-tailed tree shrew in search of a smooth-trunked tree
Regarding the Devil’s thumb
Feeling weightless agreed with me
Looking for a way in
It’s so cold underfoot
A keen sense of direction failed the Arabian onyx
Donald’s tools and graphite
Searching for a way in
Searching for a way out
Looking for a way out
Blending in I found all was revealed
Feeling out of place in Switzerland
Closer to home, things began to make greater sense
I am certain this will never work
Hold that line
Gracia Haby
2008
Collage on postcard and photographic ephemera
GALLERY TWO
Clockwise from doorway
(On wall) From left to right, top to bottom
This seems much as I’d remembered it (I)
This seems much as I’d remembered it (II)
This seems much as I’d remembered it (III)
This seems much as I’d remembered it (IV)
Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
2008
Watercolour, pencil and collage on Fabriano traditional white 640gsm paper
(In cabinet)
Objects gathered with care from recent reads (IV)
Objects gathered with care from recent reads (V)
Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
2008
Artists Book
John O’Groats: Just passing through
Gracia Haby
2008
An original artists’ book, collage on postcard images
Le Havre: Just passing through
Gracia Haby
2008
An original artists’ book, collage on postcard images
Where did you spring from?
Like so?
Is this it?
How about this?
Or this?
Yes, that’s it
Gracia Haby
2008
Collage on photographic ephemera
I am not a natural fisherman
Gracia Haby
2008
Collage on postcard
(On wall)
Keeping a watchful eye both night and day until you return
Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
2008
Four colour lithographic offset print on Lana Aquarelle satin 300gsm paper
Chin up, and don’t look down
Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
2008
Watercolour, pencil and collage on Fabriano traditional white 640gsm paper
Loosely placed 5–16 (top to bottom)
Louise Jennison
2008
Watercolour and pencil on Fabriano traditional white 640gsm paper
Standing nearer to the forest we were able to recall what it was like to be among the living once more
Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
2008
Four colour lithographic offset print on Lana Aquarelle satin 300gsm paper
Something mighty peculiar was afoot but I was hard-pressed to say for certain what it was
Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
2008
Four colour lithographic offset print on Lana Aquarelle satin 300gsm paper
Safe and secure
Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
2008
Four colour lithographic offset print on Lana Aquarelle satin 300gsm paper
