ART works featuring best furry friends of all shapes and sizes will be on show at Oak Hill Gallery, Mornington, this month.
The Pet Project has an extraordinary range of entries, celebrating the bond between humans and animals. Curator Annette Dawson said visitors would be “enchanted by a diverse collection of artworks, including whimsical paintings, intricate sculptures, and captivating photographs. Works ranging from emerging to established artists will offer a couple of newcomers to the artistic scene who have already made a splash”.
One entry, exhibited for the first time by Hastings artist Fran Henke, was created 15 years ago while she was studying visual arts at Chisholm Frankston. Her proposal of making a dog from dog food cans was met with scepticism by tutor John Hatfield: “Pull this off and I’ll give you a black belt in sculpture.” Catering size cans were sourced, riveting learned and a dog in the shape of the Henke’s Tibetan spaniel Taki was made on the kitchen table (which still bears the scars). Taki, the Can Do Dog earned Henke a high distinction.
The work is on show with paintings from Henke’s recent book Timmy’s Daughter about their eldest dog lost to dementia, leading to the adoption of one of his daughters, Chai. The book and Henke’s Street Dog postcards will be available at the gallery during the exhibition.
Taki nearly missed being included in the exhibition when “the helpful” Ian Henke ran the prickly steel sculpture through the dishwasher. It was saved by having dishwasher proof timber armature and riveting.
Pet Project is open 2pm to 4pm daily until 31 July at Oak Hill Gallery, 100 Mornington/Tyabb Road, Mornington. The gallery opens daily 10am to 4pm.
First published in the Mornington News – July 9, 2024
