Tusk Gallery is situated in the busier part of Chapel St hidden between some larger shops but is always eye catching. I love art. Sometimes I don't understand it but there is something very aesthetically pleasing about taking the time to appreciate someone's hard work. It's worth the casual walk around to see what contemporary pieces are on show from not only Australian artists but Tusk Gallery has introduced a strong Thai contingency as well. What has caught my eye have been some of the distinctive works from some of the Thai artists who specialize in contemporary portraits of Thai people. They have so much character and are so beautifully painted where it's obvious there were hours and hours of work put into it.
Tusk Gallery
There's something very soothing about art galleries where as a Contemporary Arts graduate I do have an added respect for these artists who pour their hearts and souls into their work. Their dedication is second to none and it shows in how intricate and profound some of the paintings are, some of which are on huge canvases. What stood out to me is that most of the work on show isn't confronting like a lot of Melbourne art where it's not trying to be edgy, different and "new age" but more something that everyone can appreciate. It's the simple pleasures of life, where after visiting the gallery I was compelled to check out their website and look further into their artists. Some popular Australian artists are featured on the site such as David Larwill, Claire Laymen, Jeff Gardener and Kirsty Jackson where the web galleries were just as intriguing.
www.tuskgallery.com.au
In a modern world now where "Art" can be made and distributed by anyone it was refreshing to see a gallery in Melbourne that stuck to the simple pleasures of art. There is a soul in the Tusk Gallery and it's heartbeat are those artists from Australia and Thailand who put in the hard yards for people like me that occasionally walk down the street and have a look inside. I got a really nice feeling stopping and taking in what I saw. So much talent and if I were a collector (and had the money) I would've no doubt had some of their artist's work in my house already. Maybe one day, but until then I'm very satisfied in taking the time to have a look when I'm walking down Chapel Street and will be on the lookout for any upcoming exhibitions.
