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Children's Gallery is closed for installation. Main Exhibition Gallery and Stage Gallery are OPEN with The Noise of Time + BRUTALIST / Baroque.

Temporary partial closure

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An exhibition by ceramic artists, Donalee Moriarty and Nicolette Johnson, exploring the shared qualities that unite their seemingly opposing styles.

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BRUTALIST / Baroque

An exhibition of works on paper by Ipswich based Artist, Ian Friend.

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The Noise of Time

Ipswich Art Gallery currently hosts major works from the National Gallery of Australia’s collection.

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Sharing the National Collection

Brutalism and Baroque are architectural styles founded on contrasting ideals. Emerging in the mid-20th century, Brutalism emphasised bold geometric forms and honesty, while the Baroque of the 17th and 18th centuries celebrated drama, movement, and ornamentation.



These influences can be seen in the ceramic practices of Donalee Moriarty and Nicolette Johnson. Moriarty's work draws on modernism, and restrained geometry, embracing the integrity of clay. In contrast, Johnson creates romantic, stylised forms that evoke history, symbolic meaning, and beauty that evokes the sublime.



Despite their contrasting approaches, the artists' practices run parallel and complement one another, creating a dialogue that highlights the intrinsic qualities of each other's work.



Both artists are locally based, with Moriarty living in Ipswich and Johnson in Brisbane. 





<h5>BRUTALIST / Baroque is an Ipswich Art Gallery exhibition</h5>

The Noise of Time brings together more than 30 years of Ian Friend’s artistic practice. The exhibition includes works from 1993 to work made from his Ipswich studio in 2026.

 

Throughout his career, Friend has drawn inspiration from literature, poetry, philosophy, music, and the natural world. Presenting works from different stages of his life, the exhibition reflects on the passage of time, connecting the energy and ambition of youth with the insight and experience gained over decades.

 





 Friend’s art explores the ways our lives are shaped both by what we gain and what we lose. While we often expect meaning to come from new experiences and achievements, it can also be found in absence, memory, and change. His creative process mirrors these ideas. Over periods that can span months or even years, he embeds ink, gouache, watercolour, and crayon into paper, then removes and reworks these through repeated cycles of building up and erasing. A desire to reinvent and challenge a more traditional practice of works on paper is constant in Friend’s work, where paper is not only a base to create on, but intrinsic to the work’s state of being.





 The Noise of Time features works from the artist’s own collection, as well as private and public collections including Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), Redcliffe Art Gallery, Redland Art Gallery, UniSC Art Collection, Art Gallery of South Australia, QUT Art Museum, and Ipswich Art Gallery.

<h5>An Ipswich Art Gallery exhibition</h5>

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The Sharing the National Collection initiative, funded under Australia’s National Cultural Policy Revive,&nbsp;enables major works of art to be exhibited outside the nation’s capital. 







Ipswich Art Gallery now feature powerhouse American artists Mark Rothko (1903-1970) and Agnes Martin (1912-2004), both exponents of international abstraction. Works by renowned former Ipswich ceramicist, Gwyn Hanssen-Pigott (1935-2013) will also complement those held in the Ipswich Art Gallery collection.







Agnes Martin is known for her minimalist and serene abstract paintings characterised by grids, lines, and subtle colour variations. Her work often evokes a sense of tranquillity and introspection. Mark Rothko is renowned for his large-scale colour field paintings that explore the emotional and spiritual aspects of colour through expansive, immersive canvases. Both Martin and Rothko created work that asks us to spend time contemplating their subtle form and colour. Australian artist Gwyn Hanssen-Pigott is regarded as one of the world’s greatest contemporary potters. Deeply influenced by the quiet still-life paintings of Giorgio Morandi (1890-1964), Hanssen-Pigott leaves behind a body of exquisite still-life assemblages of refined, spare vessels in subtle colours and shapes.







These important works promise to captivate and delight with their profound beauty and sensitivity.

The Ipswich Art Gallery is located in d’Arcy Doyle Place, a pedestrian mall section of Nicholas Street between Brisbane and Limestone Streets in the Ipswich CBD.

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Planning a visit? Here's what you need to know

Ipswich Art Gallery takes play seriously. Our goal is to create
dynamic pathways for lifelong relationships with art.

Structured around our guiding principles, our kids programs celebrate
the spontaneous creativity within each child.

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Contribute to a legacy that preserves Ipswich’s cultural heritage for future generations. Every gift helps foster a vibrant, creative community and supports the acquisition of significant artworks and treasures for our city.

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Find the Ipswich Art Gallery in d’Arcy Doyle Place in the Ipswich CBD adjacent to the Nicholas St precinct.
The Ipswich Art Gallery is a visual arts and social history museum presenting a dynamic program of exhibitions, heritage displays and an extensive program for children and families.

Ipswich Art Gallery