Hill Smith is an up market commercial gallery located on in the middle of Pirie St in the city.
It is housed within a beautiful red two story building with large windows at the front and a charismatic black umbrella dome covering the entryway.
There are exhibitions more or less monthly, as well as a number of works held in their stockroom which can be accessed on request. Hill Smith represents a number of the better known local and interstate artists, including David Bromley, Robert Hannaford and Nick Harding.
Presently on show is the work of Stephen Trebilcock (Main gallery), Janine Mackintosh and Peter Syndicas (First Floor Gallery).
I really love Janine's work which consist of something representing Mandalas constructed from various found natural and man made objects. Her work with eucalyptus leaves has an especially appealing aesthetic, the leaves being beautifully preserved and meticulously stitched with linen thread to the canvass. The juxtaposition of rusted man made objects with preserved natural elements also gives the work a musical quality.
Syndicas work, exhibited also on the First floor, consisting of sticks cast in iron and bronze, also follows this natural aesthetic but is, in my opinion, less appealing and although certainly difficult to accomplish, less creative.
Trebilcock's work, presented in the Main Gallery consists of a series of beautifully painted still lives, vibrant in colour and texture. The few exteriors presented in the body of work appear slightly illustrative and artificial due to an oversaturation of colour which is more suited to the still lives. This detracts slightly from the overall effect. Of particular appeal were the two triptychs, "Australian Selection" and "Oranges and Grapes." read more