Tasmanian artist Joy Mackey’s second solo exhibition, ‘Chroma’, is on display at the new Micro Gallery in Dodges Ferry.
Mackey said it was validating to have gallery owner Stephen Brown recognise her work and invite her to exhibit it.
“It gives me more confidence to display my art,” she told Tasmanian Times.
“This exhibition is a great opportunity to showcase my work to my local community. A lot of people here might not have made the trip down to the Marion Bay Art Gallery [for my first solo exhibition]. It’s a signal to me that maybe I’m on the right track, finally getting my work out there, taking a few risks.”
Brown asked Mackey to include some works from her first exhibition in ‘Chroma’.
“I included four paintings from that event but the rest are new paintings,” she said.
“I initially used a digital tool to plan which pieces to include, but found that my ideas changed once I got the paintings in the space. Some decisions were logistical, determined by the available space in the [Micro Gallery]. Other choices were decided by which pieces sat well together or encouraged a visual dialogue.”
Mackey said she also considered including paintings from her home studio featuring more subdued colours, but she ultimately decided against it because the word ‘chroma’ means purity or intensity of colour.
A vibrant opening
Mackey described the opening of ‘Chroma’ on Saturday 28 June as “a happy event with an appreciative crowd”.
It featured music performed by MT Blues and Heather Vail, while Go Pizza supplied food for guests.
“It all came together beautifully [and] the weather was really lovely,” Mackey told Tasmanian Times.
“It was delightful that a good number of people came out and enjoyed what was a happy afternoon.”
‘Chroma’ is open daily at the Micro Gallery from 3:30pm to 9:00pm until Saturday 25 July.
Extended hours will be available on Saturday 11 July from 11:00am to 9:00pm and on Saturday 25 July from 11:00am to 4:00pm, when the exhibition closes. On both Saturdays, Mackey will be at the Micro Gallery from 11:00am to 3:00pm to meet visitors.
The opening of ‘Chroma’ on 28 June.
Callum J. Jones is passionate about telling stories. He studied English, History, and Journalism at the University of Tasmania and lived in Western Sydney from 2022 to 2024 while working as a journalist for Professional Planner, a leading online publication for financial planners. Callum has written for Tasmanian Times since 2018 and has also been published in a range of other outlets, including Quadrant and the BAD Western Sydney anthologies.
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