Jimmy Rix’s sculptures often relate to personal experiences and encounters with animals. Whether decades-long, or fleeting, for the artist these connections are always meaningful. Having lived within both natural and farmed Australian landscapes throughout his life, rebellious kangaroos, majestic owls, loved household pets as well as wild visitors such as foxes and ravens are recurring protagonists in his narrative-based works.
‘In 2019, I saw a Starling standing on the back of my cow eating insects and from this observation I made a sculpture. This piqued my interest in symbiotic and ecological relationships between different animal species, and I went down a rabbit hole of researching this. I was astonished by how many symbiotic relationships there are between animal species. I hope my exhibition invites people to look at these relationships, take responsibility, and care for them.’ – Jimmy Rix, 2022
Symbiosis is a celebration of the myriad connections and relationships within the animal kingdom; from kangaroos providing the fur to line Brown Headed Honey Eaters’ nests, to ravens alerting wolves to nearby danger, to spiders making their homes in the antlers of deer.
Rix’s masterfully realised sculptures in Corten steel and bronze are imbued with sensitivity, warmth and deep reverence for the animals he observes. These poignant pieces draw the viewer in, and ask us to consider the beautiful complexities of the natural world and our own inherent connection to the environment.
Image above: Jimmy Rix Tonight, it’s just the two of us 2023 corten steel edition 1 of 3 310 x …
Image above: Jimmy Rix I’ve got this chicken legs! 2023 Corten steel 311 x 120 x 90 cm. Congratulations to …
Image above: Dunbi the Owl 2019-20 bronze 80.5 x 49 x 31cm edition 7 of 9. Photograph by David White …
Image above: Orest Keywan That Line 2023 steel 168 x 271 x 190cm Congratulations to Orest Keywan, Michael Snape and …
Image above: Andrew Antoniou Weird & Wonderful 2024 charcoal on paper 82 x 88 cm Congratulations to Andrew Antoniou who …
Image above: Christine Wrest-Smith Portrait of Susan Johnson oil on linen 122 x 92cm Congratulations to Christine Wrest-Smith who has been …
Image above: Deborah Williams The air smells different 2023 aquatint intalgio 53×39.5cm Congratulations to Deborah Williams, Martin King and Phillip …
Above image details: Jenny Rodgerson Mum’s orange cardigan 2024 oil on linen 60 x 40 cm Congratulations to Jenny Rodgerson and …
Image above: Sarah Tomasetti From Balpatta X 2024 145 x 150 cm pigment oil and marble dust on fresco Congratulations to Holly …
Image above (left to right): Graeme Drendel Portrait of Rick 2024 oil on canvas 41 x 31 cm | Michelle Hiscock …
Image above: Janet Luxton Giant Australian Cuttlefish 2021 oil on canvas 120x160cm Congratulations to Janet Luxton who has had two …
Above image: Wayne Eager, Allegory I 2023 oil on linen 95 x 133 cm Wayne Eager was interviewed by Janet …
Image above: Marina Strocchi The vineyards of Madden’s Lane 2023 acrylic on linen 122 x 152 cm Congratulations to Kate …