Therapy for Busy Chicks

VENUE: 107 Redfern Street

Art acts as a medium to celebrate life and survival in a changing urban environment - Sydney-siders are feeling the stress of increasing development, road works, traffic jams and urban heat. It’s easy to feel uptight, and to bury your head in your phone. The practice of mindfulness creates opportunities to sit in the moment and appreciate what we often take for granted - an orange-pink sunset, stained glass windows, the chuckle of kookaburras.

Marie and Amy have been busy chicks and have come together to share the fruits of their mindful activities.

Marie has been fuming over developer-driven urban transformation - the high-rise slums of tomorrow and massive toll-ways, bulldozing heritage homes and 100 year old trees. She has used building and demolition off-cuts to create boards and home-made frames. Recycling, and learning new skills, was as much a part of the process as the act of painting. In her “Busy Chick” series, Marie has painted the birds she sees around her - great urban adaptors - but who nonetheless remind us of the importance of mature trees and green spaces in our cities. These are the canaries in the coal mine and inform us about the health of our environment.

Amy had a culture shock when moving from Waterloo to suburbia with her young family - the transition from high-rise busy-ness to a quiet cul-de-sac was a challenge. From this alone-ness emerged a space to observe simple form and colour and led to this “Colour therapy” series, using ink and light to describe everyday objects and events - a piece of fruit, a time of day.

Exhibition opens Wednesday 18th September, 6.30pm.

Continues until Sunday 22nd September.

Gallery open Tuesday – Sunday, 11am-5pm.

About the artists

Marie Healy has had several exhibitions at 107 and been hung as a finalist in several art prizes including Kogarah, Hunters Hill, the Green Way and the Royal Easter Show (highly commended). A local GP and community activist, Marie enjoys the busy mindfulness of art and creativity. Her subject matter reflects her country upbringing, love of animals and gardens.

Amy Traeger is an art creator based in Sydney, NSW. She is a colour and nature lover and ink enthusiast​. Her work explores the beautiful and unusual colour combinations found in nature, as well as the art making process.