Margaret Worthington’s artistic journey in new CQ exhibition
Margaret Worthington moved from South Africa to Calliope and began her Australian artistic journey in the mid-1970s.
Gladstone
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A 40 decade-plus spiritual artistic journey on land, sea and air shaped Margaret Worthington’s latest art exhibition to be unveiled at CQ University’s Gladstone campus.
Paintings and sculptures that capture the colour and illustrate the vibrance of Australia’s continent and culture feature in Margaret Worthington’s “Land, Air, Sand, Sea, Spirit. 40 years in Queensland” exhibition.
She moved to Calliope from South Africa in the mid-1970s and found her talents and sensibilities inspired by the beauty of the region’s wide and varied landscape and oceans.
Environment had always been a significant inspiration for her art.
“I met Clive in South Africa and we sailed for a number of years on a yacht,” she said.
“We lived around coral reefs and were always snorkelling around them.
“Here, I’ve been to Heron Island and the Great Barrier Reef, I’ve volunteered for a wide variety of projects, doing things like tagging manta rays.”
Drawing on the natural colours of the environment, the exhibition features a range of personal favourite works over the years.
“I just love the ocean and the colours, the turquoise and the greens and deep blues and the colours of the fish,” she said.
“This has led me to want to learn more about it, so I talk to scientists.
“I actually do a lot of research when I create my art.
“But then I love the outback as well.”
During her time in the Gladstone region, she has created dozens of watercolours, sculptures and prints, with 38 pieces taking pride of place in the CQ University Art Collection.
“It was 2019 that (CQ Uni Art Collection Manager) Sue Smith approached me about holding an exhibition of my works,” she said.
“Sue had been following my work for many years.
“I’d kept a folder of all of my exhibitions over the years and Sue took that and was able to weave it all together.”
Margaret’s works and some metal work sculptures by her partner Clive Rouse, feature in CQ Uni’s Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre and she’d even taught drawing and sculpture classes to budding artists at CQ Uni in the past.
Her passion will be on full display in the Leo Zussino Building of the Marina campus, with more than 60 watercolour and acrylic paintings, sculptures in aluminium and fibreglass, and installations of watercolours and sculptures with projected videos and photographs.
A coffee-table sized book has also been created to showcase her art.
“Having seen this exhibition put together it has made me realise when looking at my body of work, that I’ve got a lot of choice in what to do next,” she said.
“I could either go into the outback, or head to Curtis Island and create new works.”
When asked if she had a favourite work from the past four decades, she said the exhibition would encompass her personal treasures.
“I like to work in series and a lot of what will be in the exhibition are works I’ve kept for me – what you’ll see are my personal treasures,” she said.
The exhibition will run from May 7, to June 4.
A commemorative book is available from the CQ Uni Bookshop.
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