Above the Canopy – online exhibition

‘Above the Canopy’ is a major exhibition at Town Hall Gallery celebrating the rich and diverse beauty of the Australian natural environment.

Nature has provided an infinite source of inspiration for visual artists across millennia; they have captured its beauty, documented the impacts of changing weather patterns, and commented on unsustainable human practices. This exhibition conveys the unimaginable grandeur of nature while exploring concerns for climate action and the need to protect the planet for future generations.

Through hyperreal images of lush and verdant forests alongside detailed studies of insects, botany, birds and geology, ‘Above the Canopy’ shows a deep appreciation for our majestic and awe-inspiring world. Featuring artists working with installation, photography, painting, animation and textiles, this exhibition creates a theatrical, immersive and regenerative experience that acknowledges the significance of Country and our need to care for it.

Featuring: Sarah Hendy, Janet Laurence, Michael McHugh, Rebecca Mayo, Catherine Nelson, Grant Stevens and Judy Watson.

Image credit: Catherine Nelson, ‘Gully’, 2014, pigment print, edition of 3, 150 x 188cm, image courtesy of the artist and Gallerysmith, Melbourne.

Download the catalogue

Above the canopy - exhibition catalogue 3.89 MB [PDF] 4 July 2022

Different flower species painted in bright colours over a blue background.

Michael McHugh, detail from ‘SWIMMING IN THE CLOUDS’, 2022, acrylic on canvas, 200 x 600cm, image courtesy of the artist.

A large exhibition space with large hanging pieces of material covered in images of trees and foliage

Janet Laurence, ‘Breath of the Forest’ from the ‘Theatre of Trees’ series, 2020, Silk Voile di-sublimation print, dimensions variable, image courtesy of the artist and Arc ONE Gallery.

A black branch on a piece of material with fire danger warning scales in grey in the background and black marks across the canvas

Judy Watson, ‘fire danger rating’, 2021, acrylic, graphite, pigment on canvas, 267 x 179.5cm, image courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane.

An exhibition space with 2 wooden stands, one that is backlit and one that is not, both displaying small pieces showing laser etched and worm eaten paper

Rebecca Mayo, ‘At work with worms’, 2020, laser etched and worm-eaten paper, light boxes, 180 x 19.5 x 180cm, image courtesy of the artist. Photography by Brenton McGeachie.

A forest with the foliage in bright reds, whites and purples next to a slow moving river

Sarah Hendy, ‘Tweed River’, 2018, oil on glass, 104 x 137cm, private collection, image courtesy of Mars Gallery.

A forest of young thin trees with green foliage and cliffs in the background

Grant Stevens, still from ‘The Forest’, 2020, procedurally generated computer graphics with sound, three channel, endless duration, image courtesy of the artist and Sullivan + Strumpf.