Anne Judell, Void. Courtesy: the artist and Charles Nodrum Gallery, Melbourne.

Charles Nodrum Gallery presents work by Anne Judell. The surface of the Highland and St Kilda works in this exhibition are so textured, so soft and fluffy, you might mistake them for some sort of fabric rather than paper. In the artist’s own words: “I work very lightly with many many layers of pastel until some form asserts itself. This is then refined with graphite and more layers. I’m attempting to reach that very elusive point where they are neither form nor formless.”

Her minute and repetitive tearing and scraping are worked up or down the thick Hahnemuhle paper in greater or lesser intensity – in some areas so deep she’s almost torn a hole – creating a gradation of detail which, in some cases, produces what looks like a snowscape receding into the horizon, in others, moss growing on a damp wall, and, as in Void, a cluster of stars in deep space. At the other end of the spectrum, works like Tango have a less concentrated and more open-air quality, with gestural brushstrokes dancing down the paper.

Please note: the gallery is currently closed due to Covid-19 restrictions, please visit the gallery website for more information and online viewing opportunities.

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