L-R: Alison Mitchell, her partner, the revered Australian artist Robert "Alfie" Hannaford, with critic and exhibition curator John Neylon and his partner Heather, at the opening of Alfie's current exhibition at Signal Point. The Ballast Stone Winery tasting and sales area is part of this handsome gallery on the old wharves of the Port of Goolwa, on the estuary of the Murray River in South Australia. DRINKSTER recommends a morning visit to the exhibition, a tasting, a long slow lunch at the nearby Bombora Cafe, and a reconstructive beer at the Steam Exchange Brewery, between the steam train and steam boats on the wharf. Neylon managed to break into Alfie's studio and pinch what he preferred for this astonishing show, which runs until 14th March. It includes priceless sketches from Alfie's childhood notebooks, cartoons from his time at The Advertiser, frank portraits of his immediate family at different stages of their lives, including his Dad, Claude, minutes after his death, and many other stunning works, including a crisp rendition of Prime Minister Paul Keating. For a taste of Alfie's compendium, check the following works. These are not hung at Signal Point, but I've dug out a few properly photographed ones so you can get the drift. Alfie paints at Riverton, in South Australia's Gilbert Valley, where he has a studio and gallery which you must visit. It's on the way to the wineries of Clare, and it's there, too on your way back home. Go, see! Alfie has painted commissioned portraits of many great Australians, including Dame Joan Sutherland and the official Sir Donald Bradman image in the dining room at Lords ... top and bottom photos by PHILIP WHITE
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| Looking towards Stokes Bay - Robert Hannaford |
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| Lynda Syddick - Robert Hannaford |
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| Catherine Middleton - Robert Hannaford |
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| Self portrait with tubes - Robert Hannaford |
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| Arthur Shirtock - Robert Hannaford |
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| Pigs at Riverton - Robert Hannaford |
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| Bag of apples - Robert Hannaford |
Hannaford speaks of light
6 comments:
Beautiful coverage of Robert Hannaford - Open Studio at Goolwa thankyou!
Leah Grace
That's Arthur The Wharfie!
How's Robert's cancer Philip?
He's happy and positive. He has obvious difficulty speaking, but he does it all with dignity and clarity, does dear Alfie. He looks strong and fit. It was really cool to see him after so many years. The exhibition's a must: I shed a lot of tears at his incredible skill and open, honest eye. Nobody sees the weight and thickness of light, or its quality, like Alfie does. Go to the show; buy the book!
Being able to show us the weight thickness and quality of light is an extraordinary achievement.
Simon
Yes, agreed. His eye is frank and eternally curious. The drawings from his childhood show hints of it; then the influence of Heysen and Hele begin to emerge, and he just seems to have sucked it all in and run with it. His appreciation and recording of light and the very air we breathe - the carrier of this strange glowing element - simply grows with his years. As a journalist, I envy his astonishing ability to report with such brevity of emotion, somehow mixed with an uncanny ability to see land, air, light and living things, and the simple matters of our world and our lives, with such honest and unintrusive love. It is an honour to know him, and see these wonders.
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