LARA KLARK

VALUES ON MY WAY TO CONSCIOUSNESS

 

SOLO EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS

19th JUNE – 1st JULY 2018

Tap Gallery 259 Riley Street Surry Hills NSW

 

INTRODUCTION

Lara Klark, one of Russia’s leading ethereal surrealist artists presents her 5^th Australian exhibition at TAP Gallery –Sydney. Lesley Dimmick OAM, the director of TAP Gallery for 30 years explains how Lara’s attention to detail brought spiritual experiences to a physical dimension. Lara having figured in numerous Russian Art Books and theatre productions has made a scintillating transition to Australian ethos, framing her works in colour and vibrant form, which throws light on an unwritten side of Australian migrant art.

 

BRIEFLY

Based on her experiences, Lara was inspired to create a collection revolving around consciousness – important steps on the way to it and values found. Expanding her understanding of the concept to more than just the conventional definition. Lara views her body of work as an ongoing dialogue; each exhibition adding new findings and continuing the same primary themes of love, beauty, connections and alternatives of hardship

Born in Siberia and living in Moscow for the majority of her life, Lara Klark worked as a professional theatre actress. She studied fine art on silk in Moscow and participated in many exhibitions and publications. Since moving to Australia, Lara discovered an interest in painting acrylic on canvas and continued her work on silk. She has exhibited in Adelaide and Moscow previously and for six years currently in Sydney.

Lara Klark is the Winner of the Real Refuse Exhibition 2013 at Tap Gallery. She also creates gift cards and prints from her artwork.

 

 

LARA KLARK – VALUES ON MY WAY TO CONSCIOUSNESS

Meet the artist SAT 23 JUNE 5pm

ALL WELCOME TO ATTEND

 

MORE ABOUT LARA KLARK

Born in Siberia as a twin, Lara Klark, a Russian-Australian artist will be exhibiting her latest solo show at TAP Gallery. While in Russia she initially received an acting diploma and worked as a professional actress in the drama theatres in different cities of the Soviet Union. In the wake of the restructuring changes (Perestroika) Lara moved to Moscow to take part, along with a well known director in the creation of a new theatre for children. Lara says it was a crazy terrible time –the economy collapsed, theatres created and scattered, like a house of cards. But amidst all this collapse Lara found friends, got married and had a child. Lara put her career on hold and sat at home with the baby for 2 years. Not having a full opportunity to throw out the creative energy and wanting to decorate the flat in Moscow, Lara began a hobby of depicting art in the traditional folk style on breadboards to hang on the wall. A friend, theatre artist, saw one of her boards and stated that Lara had been burying her talent in the ground, he persuaded her husband to give her the opportunity to take lessons in the art of Batik. Classes did not last long, because the nurse did not want to look after the little very active, curly jet rocket – and the husband insisted she returned to the theatre, saying that actors sitting all day at home can go crazy. Lara felt that she had a small child, plus a big bearded child, a lot of work looking after her husband and child in the household, constantly staying quartered guests-friends from abroad as well as work in the two theatres, – she only managed to snatch a few hours at night to draw and paint. Fellow artist shared criticism and appreciation of her completed work. Back home, Lara pulled out a new canvas, taking into account all their comments, and began more studies. Her first successful work was swapped for 2 bottles of paint and 2 meters of silk.

 

But everything changed again. Lara’s little family moved to Australia to a typical town of South Australia, Whyalla with 26,000 very friendly people, no professional theatre acting and the child went to school. Everything was so slow…. At first there was an opportunity to draw every day for long hours and the results were evident after six months – she had her own style, and a local gallery asked to participate in joint exhibitions in Adelaide. She sold three works. Lara with the child, returned to Moscow 2 years later. True to the theatre upon returning to Russia, she was having trouble trying to decide to whether be an actor or a freelance artist. Fortunately her husband paid the rent from Australia and Lara had to earn for food and the rest their needs. Luckily the Moscow art market is really big because middle class baying paintings, sculptures to make they flats nice, to fill home with worm fillings, not for investment. She regularly sold her work at the art-market in Art Muzeon on Krymskaya Naberezhnaya – The Vernisage, an artists market, place left here from the old days, inside a park with sculptures surrounding a building of branch the State Tretyakov Gallery, better known as the New Tretyakovka. She sold one work after next, and so forth, each month, after finishing the painting, sometimes two. What could be more encouraging for an artist? The more pictures Lara sold the more she painted, becoming even more recognized. She received an offer to join one of great artistic groups, then also another and became a regular exhibiter in the group’s shows. Lara’s works began to be published in the annual journal “painters” in the artistic newspaper, in the book – “Artists of Russia”. Lara established an informal group of artists-poets in which on the opening nights of exhibitions artists read their poems surrounding by they paintings

Lara returned to Australia 6 years ago. Her beloved child had already migrated when decided to go back to his father. Lara’s twin sister resides in Moscow with her 2 children and later Lara, missing her so match, created a work – Gazing Star about they childhood and very personal moments wen after play with group of kids laying together on snow in backyard of parents house. ….

On the third day after the arrival in Australia, Lara accidentally passed TAP Gallery. As it turned out it was a fateful moment. Standing on the street, artist Brendon called Lara to in to see his show. Brandon and Leslie offered to Lara to participate in the nearest group exhibition, saying that it’s for free. Having just learned that on the journey to Sydney Lara`s money was stolen; Brendan had paid for her participation. Since then, Lara has regularly participated in exhibitions at TAP Gallery. Since moving to Australia, Lara has discovered her interest in acrylic painting on canvas and continued her work on silk. And She become the Winner of the Real Refuse Exhibition 2013 at Tap Gallery — the prize was a personal exhibition – with painting bay acrylic on canvas Journey With Friends.

It will be first solo in her live. It`s was very excited moment. In Moscow she couldn`t collect for exposition more wen 10 paintings, that isn`t enough. After observation ready existed works, Lara understand that all of them have same in common – it`s about that she hasn`t, but want to have, alternatives to hardship, to burdens – all her steps to be more conscious.

 

 

 

Lara Statement

 

This painting is about connections between two girls and between them and universe without any interruptions of family or social responsibilities, worrying about work, money, and duties… The moment when their souls observing and accepting something bigger and more abstract than their own material lives. Just three souls connecting – two girls and the Universe.

 

 

I met a young married couple, who were both musicians. I was astounded at the deep connection between the two of them. The support that they shared through the bonds of musical expression, made their love discernible to the ears of their captive audience.

 

The gift of family connections growing stronger throughout their lives, binding their fates together, their love linking them across space and time. A bright light showing their way through the world and back to each other.