The dark meets the beautiful in Logan artist’s touring exhibition
When she started her ZOONOSES visual narrative project in 2018, Logan artist Dr Nicola Hooper had no idea how topical her exhibition would soon become.
ZOONOSES: A Visual Narrative, looks at Zoonoses (animal diseases that can infect humans) and how that influences our perceptions of animals – making them seem like objects of fear or mystery. The exhibition is now at Moranbah, the second of 12 locations in a 3-year tour of regional art galleries.
‘When we had planned this exhibition tour it was pre COVID so of course everything was cancelled – it was ironic given the content of my exhibition,’ Nicola says.
The tour eventually started this year, and will show around Queensland throughout 2022, then across Australia.
‘It’s so much fun and I love the experience of taking a white room and transforming it,’ she says.
ZOONOSES combines a mythical, fairytale feel with some dark subject matter – the kind Nicola says she has always been most comfortable with.
‘I am attracted to subversive subjects – that is what really floats my boat, the idea that things can be dark but beautiful at the same time,’ Nicola says.
‘I started this exhibition with the title, ZOONOSES: A Visual Narrative, and I spent time with bat rescue people. I did a lot of research and that really stimulates the work, when you are looking at it from a theoretical evidence-based background as well as a visual point of view.’
Nicola combines hand-created coloured lithographs which she steps and repeats – these are used to create an immersive, transformative gallery space. The wallpaper is reproduced by hand at each exhibition location.
‘The wallpapers have become a really big part of exhibition and there is custom wallpaper for each venue, so it’s a big job,’ she says.
‘As you can imagine, when you have a space that is essentially a white box and add wallpaper and lighting, you can transform a space and change the feeling of it.’
Nicola has been working as an artist for her entire career – since her days as a graphic artist at News Limited newspapers in both daily and community papers. She began in advertising and moved into marketing and editorial, where she focused on illustrations. Her interest in anecdotal news stories proved to be invaluable to her research and studio work.
Since working for herself as an artist, she’s had her work displayed in many national shows and museums but the excitement that accompanies a new tour remains.
Nicola also produced the Factory Stories interpretive timeline at in the Kingston Butter Factory, which opened in July as part of the Kingston Butter Factory Cultural Precinct.
She says the Logan art scene is growing.
‘It is only going to get bigger, particularly in the lead-up to the Olympics,’ she says.
‘Public art is very important, and I think we will see more of it. It’s certainly a great time for artists.
Nicola’s exhibition is supported by Logan Art Gallery, Logan City Council, in partnership with Museums & Galleries Queensland. The project has been assisted by the Australian Government’s Visions of Australia program, and is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, part of the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy.
You can read more about Nicola and her work on her website. Nicola Hooper Artist | Nicola Hooper Artist
More information about ZOONOSES can be found here: ZOONOSES – Museums and Galleries QLD (magsq.com.au)
