DIANNE GALL

The work of Adelaide based painter Dianne Gall is heavily influenced by objects of beauty. On the surface, Gall's work portrays an image of perfection, of a quietly feminine world where the sky is blue and roses are forever in bloom.

Delicate gold encrusted porcelain teacups; a favourite pair of shoes or the crisp pleats and folds of a 1950's cocktail dress are often signifiers for memory and nostalgia. The sanguine nature of femininity is seeped in the possibility of a secret history, as each object and piece of clothing becomes a vessel of mystery once loved by a past owner.

Despite this initial ideal of perfection, Gall's work hints at unease. The dresses and billowing skirts she paints do not cling to soft flesh but hang from headless wooden dressmaker's mannequins, a subtle suggestion of sensuality repressed.

Gall has participated in numerous exhibitions throughout Australia and her work is held in the collections of Parliament House, Canberra and Artbank. She recently exhibited the solo exhibition Metaphors for Memory at Beaver Galleries in Canberra.