The sure support of a fragile frame James Murnane 1st February - 5th March Opening: Thursday 1st February, 6 - 8pm The sure support of a fragile frame sees James Murnane engage with the tenuousness of transcendent encounter. His ethereal paintings on glass and wood, which aim to be representations of the interior life, are delicately held by loose and messy weaves of twine and rope, laced, at times, with glimmers of gold. The weight of the works almost make the support give way, pointing to the necessity of risk and trust when engaging with mystery. Murnane’s practice brings together his interests in sacred art and architecture, contemplative spirituality, and abstract art making, to present subtle experiences of vulnerability and fragility, characteristics that are often requisite to encountering the sacred. Recent projects have seen Murnane go beyond the gallery space to engage directly with ancient sacred spaces, undertaking installations on the bare ruins of Korskirken, a 13th-century church in Oslo, Norway, and in the glorious baroque choir of the church of Saint-Bruno les Chartreux, Lyon, France. In turn, as here, he has also seeks to engage the gallery space with a sense of both the sacred and the ordinary, embracing elements drawn from iconography and stained glass, and the humble organic materials of rope and twine. James Murnane is a visual artist from Melbourne, Australia, where he lives, works, and completed his Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) at RMIT University in 2006. His practice focuses upon the transcendent capacity of visual and spatial encounters, aiming to bring a sacred element to ordinary spaces and to uniquely re-engage with sacred spaces. James has exhibited in Australia, Norway and France, has been a finalist in prizes around Australia, as well as having undertaken residencies in Australia and Spain. He has works in the collection of St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne, and private collections in Australia, USA, and Europe. Artist website: : www.jamesmurnane.com