Reflections by Kylie Rusk

In her upcoming exhibition at Grey, Kylie Rusk continues to delve into her passion for the New Zealand landscape. Using lithographic print and paint, Kylie explores the subtle variation of colour, light and form, resulting in stunningly atmospheric works of art.

Kylie is highly interested in what the landscape holds for the individual in terms of memory, connection, and a sense of being. Travelling the coast and countryside, Kylie documents scenes which she then reproduces in the studio.

Rusk’s specialty is her lithography. Having won the prestigious Hahnemuhle Printmaking Award from the Elam School of Fine Arts, Auckland she has continued to hone her craft in this unique art-form. This historic form of printmaking, which is how they used to make maps and newspapers 100’s of years ago, involves grinding down a stone then drawing/painting onto it with a greasy material.

The stone is then etched with nitric acid and gum Arabic. The image is then inked up and put through a lithography press. Each of her editions is limited in number ranging anywhere from 20 to 30 prints.

Kylie’s personalised style of painting incorporates a variety of techniques including the building up of acrylic paint layers and washes to create mood and energy to give the image a real life of its own.

Kylie graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts from Elam School of Fine Arts in Auckland in 2007. In her final year at Elam, Kylie was awarded the Hahnemuhle printmaking award. Since completing her studies, Kylie has exhibited widely in solo and group exhibitions, primarily working in lithograph prints and acrylic on canvas.

Kylie will be holding a lithography demonstration on 21 March from 11am – 12pm at Grey.