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Michelle Kettle, Folded Light

Sunlight on a building will suddenly draw your attention where it may have been overlooked before. A curtain stirring or a door closing, you suddenly look back, look up, or glance across the street. There is a two sided voyeurism although neither viewers are to be seen. Divided by space and walls, with you on the outside.

Michelle’s third solo exhibition at Boom, Folded Lightcontinues her fascination with Australian architecture and the subtle shifts in light, shadow and mood through cropped images of uniquely Melbourne facades. Michelle is intrigued by the often overlooked, familiar scenes of our everyday experience – somewhat of a voyer in her explorations of local buildings, curious to the life that lays beyond the half drawn curtains and closed doors she paints.

“For this collection of small paintings I’ve revisited suburbs I lived in when I first moved to Melbourne, mainly Carlton north. Moving through these old streets again, I’ve framed my compositions to capture particular elements of the architecture that I love, mainly windows, doors and those spectacular Victorian parapets. I like to speculate who lives there and what kind of life they live, and create my own narrative.”

Michelle Kettle is from Dublin, Ireland and studied ceramics at the National College of Art and Design. Upon graduating in 2009 she moved to Melbourne, where without access to a ceramic studio and kiln she began oil painting.


Michelle’s exhibition runs until September 9. To see a full listing click here.