ANOTHER Night on Earth is filled with stories that take on a particularly poignant meaning amid a pandemic.
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Castlemaine artist David Frazer's wood carvings and linocuts that explore human interactions with hope, loss and connection. Frazer said the body of work was never intended for this moment - a couple of pieces date back two decades - but it was interesting timing to be opening such an exhibition at Art Gallery of Ballarat.
One picture in particular he said was a complete coincidence: We Live in Hope. He had been listening to a Nick Cave song when crafting it.
"I've got my shtick worked out. I keep doing things the way I do," Frazer said. "If they can mean something else in different times, that's fine too."
Frazer's finely details works are marked with wit and human observation as a storyteller.
New wood engravings are a nod to distant relative and print maker Lionel Lindsay, from the well-known Lindsay family. Frazer said it was an honour to hang his work alongside some of the Gallery's Lindsay pieces. This was a first for Frazer, who had long admired Lionel Lindsay's wooden carvings.
For me, I'm doing what I normally do but I appreciate what I do even more.
- David Frazer, artist
Frazer said he was rapt to be on show in the Art Gallery of Ballarat and hoped COVID-19 restrictions would ease enough to draw more visitors to see it.
As an artist, Frazer said he had otherwise not been greatly impacted by restrictions. He works towards one big solo showing every couple of years - he made Canberra in February before everything tightened up.
"For me, I'm doing what I normally do but I appreciate what I do even more," Frazer said. "I'm working in my studio in isolation."
Art Gallery of Ballarat director Louise Tegart said this was a great opportunity to show Frazer's distinctive impressions of rural Australia.
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"David Frazer uses his mastery of wood engraving and linocut to produce works that are breathtaking in their complexity but that also speak to the heart during this difficult period in time," Ms Tegart said. "These prints are funny, quirky, touching - people will feel a deep connection to the work while admiring the mastery of the artist."
Ms Tegart said the new pieces would also bring a new perspective to the gallery's ongoing focus on the Lindsay family.
- David Frazer: Another Night on Earth is showing at Art Gallery of Ballarat from August 1 to November 15.
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