MOON DAYS – TANYA CHAITOW

Moon Days, Tanya Chaitow’s new exhibition, is a tale of isolation, whimsy and surrealist provocation. Her works, now showing at Stella Downer Fine Art, are strange, haunting illustrations of emotional resonance.

Chaitow uses animals, such as owls and elks as avatars and presents them against pastel backgrounds. The anthropomorphic creatures melt into stones and transform into trees, becoming part of nature but distinctly apart.

In The Lives of Rocks 2, a human-elk hybrid sits proudly enthroned on a rock which threatens to overwhelm it, whilst in Traces of Time, two owls perch delicately in a corner seeking protection from a barren landscape. These images tell stories of separation and loneliness, desire for unity and yearning for completeness.

Stylistically the paintings are almost poster-like. They engage the viewer with a contemporary aesthetic and intriguing content. Modern in outlook, yet traditional in technique, Chaitow joins old and new to create a unique perspective. (LR)

Until Dec 14, Stella Downer Fine Art, 2 Danks St, Waterloo, free, stelladownerfineart.com.au