Lesley Fitzpatrick
Hiding in Plain Sight: Contradictions, Paradoxes and Enigmas
2 April - 4 May
Homestead Gallery 1 & 2
Hiding in plain sight: contradictions, paradoxes and enigmas is a selection of painted works in acrylics on (often upcycled) canvas. The works explore human, societal and environmental interactions in Australia provoking questions about the nature of our country, the environment, its people, and its social and economic fabric.
Drawing on emblematic images and landscapes that reflect social, economic and ethical contradictions, the works challenge the viewer to reflect on the nature and integrity of our relationships with one another and the environment.
The exhibition encompasses two broad themes: social issues and cultural and environmental mythology. Environment and myth are captured in images of thylacines in a series of iconic Australian landscapes containing traces of human incursion and hinting at its impact. Social conundrums are explored through images on economic and social policies and their impacts and the exploitation of the vulnerable by the powerful.
Some works present real-life scenarios, others combine concepts related to changing values, ways of life, cultural myth and a yearning for times past. Many celebrate the beauty of our country while simultaneously pondering the exploitation of living beings and the environment.
The works are silent on the artist’s view of the meanings they offer, inviting the observer to consider their complexities and contradictions; to reflect upon the innate promise of our county; to consider its past and its future; and, the complex issues it faces.
About the Artist
Lesley Fitzpatrick’s art practice has evolved significantly over the past five years since her retirement from paid employment in 2019. Prior to this, she explored art—primarily painting—sporadically throughout her life. As a child, she enjoyed painting and submitted her work to local agricultural shows, where she won several prizes, an experience that was both surprising and encouraging.
Educated at a convent school, Fitzpatrick studied art during her primary and secondary years. However, after becoming a mother at nineteen, her artistic pursuits took a backseat to parenting, work, and homemaking. At one point, she took a term off work to study an introductory course in drawing, painting, and printmaking at The Gordon in Geelong. She later revisited formal art education in 2020 by enrolling in Experiment in Painting at the Canberra Institute of Technology.
Since then, Fitzpatrick has completed two ANU continuing education courses led by Michael Winters. Primarily self-taught, she is an active member of two community-based painting groups at Nellie Hall in Melba and Strathnairn.
Her work has gained recognition, with three of her paintings selected as finalists for the prestigious year-long Bald Archies travelling exhibition in 2023 and 2025. Dedicated to her practice, Fitzpatrick works at her easel daily, finding joy in exploring ideas through paint.