Courtesy: the artist and Page Galleries, Wellington.

Laura Williams’ detailed paintings are inhabited by a cast of rambunctious and often scantily clad characters including figures displaced from Greek mythology and Catholic scripture.

Bordered by draped curtains, some works feel particularly reminiscent of those toy theatres that flourished in 19th-century England as a popular form of domestic entertainment. Made from paper and assembled at home, intimate performances were held for family and guests, sometimes accompanied with live music. While no musical score supplements these paintings, they are permeated by a chorus of art and literary references.

Players on Williams’ elaborate stages are set against backdrops of luxuriously decorated interiors featuring vintage inspired wallpapers and soft furnishings. Walls are adorned by miniature versions of famous paintings; as well as nude figures amalgamated from vintage images from mid-century photographers with classical paintings of martyred saints.

Opening Event: Thursday 21 September, 5 – 7pm.

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