PRESS RELEASE - Veteran Artist, Kimbaross, to launch first solo exhibition, ‘The Ordinary Sublime’, during Melbourne Fringe Festival
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
26 September 2024
Veteran Artist, Kimbaross, to launch first solo exhibition, ‘The Ordinary Sublime’, during Melbourne Fringe Festival
A premier solo exhibition of paintings and works on paper by Veteran Artist, Kimbaross, will
be launched at ANVAM, (Australian National Veterans Arts Museum), 312 St Kilda Road, at
4.00pm on Tuesday 1 October 2024 as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival.
The exhibition, ‘The Ordinary Sublime’, features narrative works depicting everyday events
and interactions that ask the viewer to reflect on just how extraordinary the ordinary can be.
“The works depict people interacting with their environment, interactions that we don’t
necessarily think have any particular impact on our lives but cumulatively seep into our
souls. These interactions can sometimes harden us but more often soften us over time,”
stated Kimbaross.
Kimbaross, who grew up in rural Victoria, is an active member of the Australian Army
Reserve. He finds his interactions in and with nature, and his movements through everyday
life provide inspiration for works. A rich colour palette, using a range of media, is a method
that Kimbaross employs to reflect the extraordinary that is abundant in daily life.
Hosted by ANVAM, a veteran-led charity established in 2013 to strengthen the wellbeing of
the Veteran Community through facilitated arts programs and collaborations, ‘The Ordinary
Sublime’ exhibition offers an opportunity for the Veteran Community and the general public
to view the works of a veteran creative who has a unique and fresh view on the living
world. Mark Johnston, the Chairman and Director of ANVAM, views collaborations with
Veteran Artists such as Kimbaross as “integral relationships that highlight the capacity of the
Veteran Community to contribute in a myriad of ways to the nation’s arts and culture.”
To better support artists like Kimbaross, ANVAM, currently located in a small gallery/working
space at 312 St Kilda Road, has lobbied the government or more than a decade to utilise the
former Repatriation Clinic, at 310 St Kilda Road, that currently sits vacant. The building
would function as a permanent location for exhibitions, such as The Ordinary Sublime, and a
place for ongoing arts programs to support the Veteran Community’s wellbeing.
“The former Repatriation Clinic is a unique heritage site that is incredibly important to the
Veteran Community. ANVAM’s case to government to repurpose the clinic as an arts and
cultural institution to support the wellbeing of veterans and their families is stronger than
ever. The recent rejection of our invitation to Government to support our application for the
urban Precincts and Partnership Program grant funding is especially disappointing given the
many benefits that will flow from this initiative.” commented Mark Johnston.
The Ordinary Sublime will be open to the public from 10am - 4pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays
and 10am - 2pm Saturdays for the duration of the Melbourne Fringe Festival, 1-20 October,
2024.
For more information please contact:
jo.brown@anvam.org.au
M: 0447 289 102