From the 14th to the 28th of October 2016,
the Serpentine Community Gallery will be the venue for
"Take Shape"
- a solo exhibition showcasing recent works
by local graphic designer and illustrator Dougal Binns.
Together with local sculptor Franco Girardi's solo exhibition
a combined opening night celebration will take place on
Friday 14th October 2016, from 6pm.
All welcome.
My artworks
start on the computer.
I draw shapes in my illustration software,
and move them around,
change the colours
until I land on something that pleases me.
Then I reproduce them
on canvas or board.
I try to match the colours
from the computer generated art
with real paint.
I mask the positive and negative shapes
to keep the paintings flat.
What happens in between the masked boundaries can be interesting
and that’s what I like.
To see how accurately I can recreate them
but also to see how the inherent imperfection
of attempting to do that
manifests into a unique result.
- Dougal Binns
September 2016
'Wojoox'
90cm x 90cm
2015
Dougal Binns grew up in Lismore and spent his youth dreaming of becoming
a famous artist, musician AND professional basketball player.
Upon completing High School he thought he’d better put at least one of the dreams to action,
and after weighing up studying art and graphic design decided on the latter,
and got accepted to study a Bachelor of Arts Degree for Graphic Design in Melbourne.
After graduating, his first job was working at the Herald Sun newspaper as a designer and illustrator.
The call to travel eventually pulled him to Europe,
where he spent a year and a half working at The Independent newspaper in London.
After travelling he returned to his home town
and began working with GD Studio,
met his future wife and decided to make a family.
Twelve years later he is still enjoying living and working here.
...and he’s still living the dreams of playing music and basketball,
albeit without the ‘fame’!
The Art
'Prokit'
acrylic on canvas
120cm x 90cm
'Done'
acrylic on canvas
60cm x 75cm
'Under'
acrylic on canvas
60cm x 75cm
'Ataata'
acrylic on canvas
60cm x 60cm
'Bibibb'
acrylic on canvas
60cm x 60cm
'Sluuk'
acrylic on plywood
60cm x 90cm
'Scasa'
acrylic-on-canvas
60cm x 60cm
'Speshall'
acrylic on canvas
60cm x 150cm
'Early'
acrylic on canvas
60cm x 60cm
'Very'
acrylic on canvas
60cm x 60cm
'Toonoo'
acrylic on plywood
60cm x 90cm
'Unu'
acrylic on plywood
60cm x 90c
The opening celebration
1st October 2016: As fellow artist Franco Girardi began to mount his solo show at the Serpentine, Dougal Binns
dropped in to give a helping hand, discuss their individual approaches to art, and plan a combined opening celebration.
An enthusiastic start to a very successful event: with the artists and helpers
preparing our local art-lovers a fantastic 'feast' for multiple senses.
Gallery front, musical entertainment by Donato Rosella, Rodney Sharpe and Wera Teves.
Official opening and welcome speeches are given by Dougal (far right), Franco (left) and Nimbin identity
Michael Balderstone (2nd from right), who reminisced about Franco's creative input with the original Nimbin Museum.
Time to appreciate the art and the ambience.
Above (L to R): Franco Girardi, Nicole Raward,
and Lismore Regional Gallery director
Brett Adlington with Dougal Binns.