Simon Fisher: from red earth and big sky

Simon Fisher: from red earth and big sky is the first major solo exhibition by Minyip artist Simon Fisher (born 1955) to be held in a public gallery. It chronicles one man's prolific creativity, spanning diverse landscapes, life experiences, travels, and influences. During Fisher's childhood in Kiambu, Kenya, the artist drew early inspiration from watching local craftspeople and makers busily working by hand (in Swahili: kazi ya mkono). In late childhood and early adolescence, Fisher first moved to the UK and then to Australia, adapting to new cultures, materials, and environments. Fisher's abundant art practice, supported by his eidetic memory, is often inspired by a broad interest in poetry, including the works of Rilke, William Carlos Williams, Marianne Moore, Anne Sexton, and Robert Frost, among others. He is unrestrained by medium and frequently combines everyday objects into playful creations. His curiosity and technical proficiency, honed through years of professional work across the art, theatre, and architecture industries, have led him to explore painting, sculpture, collage, photography, and new media including virtual reality, all of which are included in this major retrospective exhibition. Profoundly fascinating , Simon Fisher: from red earth and big sky represents the artist's life and journey, which are inextricably enmeshed. Fisher's practice blurs the lines between fine art, artistic exploration, and a bowerbird-like drive to collect and archive.