The work Green Still Life with Yellow Bottle was a finalist in the Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery's signature program, Still: National Still Life Award. In 2017, this award was expanded from having a focus solely on still life painting to include artworks in all mediums. As a sculptural, still life assemblage in ceramics, this work signals a new and contemporary interpretation of the still life genre into three dimensions and a new direction for the gallery's collection. The still life genre is the specialist focus of the Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery’s collection, with still life artworks identified as the first priority in the gallery’s collection policy, Section 2.4.2 (1): “Works in this section reflect still life genre, as per artworks acquired through the National Still Life Award (Still) as well as through donation, purchase, transfer and bequest.” In securing a donation from an artist of Esson’s status, this acquisition also meets Section 2.4.2 (2) “Australian art: works acquired under this section of the policy reflect the broad directions in Australian art practice acquired through donation, purchase, transfer and bequest.”

Merran Esson is one of Australia’s leading artists working in ceramics, has work represented in numerous public and private collections and an extensive exhibiting history, both here and overseas. She was the Head of Ceramics at the National Arts School for many years and has been a visiting artist in China, Korea, Scotland, Sweden, Taiwan, Japan and Pakistan. Much of her work examines the contrast between rural and urban experiences, creating forms that evoke rural structures such as water tanks and agricultural vessels such as funnels, sieves, drums and buckets. She uses clay to explore textures, surface and the marks of time, often mimicking the character of aged and distorted metal. She uses colour in adventurous and striking ways and is experimenting with varied forms in both her recent gallery compositions and in-situ installations. Green Still Life with Yellow Bottle is a strong piece; a strong composition created by the combination of three quirky and unique forms that interact and converse in intriguing ways.

[Written by Jo Besley, 4 March 2019]

Still-life sculpture comprised of 3 pieces, ceramic.