Mandurah Art Gallery has transformed into a vibrant hub for contemporary printmaking as artists, educators, students, and audiences from across Western Australia gather for the Marginalia Exhibition. Located within the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, the exhibition is presented by Peel Printmaking in collaboration with the Printmakers Association of WA.
Fourteen Printmakers Selected
With fourteen talented printmakers chosen to exhibit, the show aims to highlight the breadth of printmaking practices across WA while fostering dialogue and professional exchange among newly arrived, regional, and metropolitan artists.
Mandurah: A Threshold Space
Marginalia project lead and Peel Printmaking co-founder Joanne Wood noted that Mandurah is an ideal setting for the exhibition due to its unique position on the edge of Perth, both geographically and culturally. “Neither fully metropolitan nor entirely regional, Mandurah operates as a threshold space where different communities, audiences, and artistic conversations intersect,” she said. “Hosting Marginalia here reinforces the exhibition’s focus on practices that exist outside dominant centres, while allowing the work to be encountered by audiences who may be overlooked by inner-city institutional circuits.”
Meaning Behind the Name
Ms Wood explained that the term Marginalia originates from the Latin word marginalis, meaning “of the edge,” and traditionally refers to notes, drawings, and symbols written in the margins of books. “Today, marginalia have taken on a broader symbolic meaning beyond notes in books. It represents ideas, voices, and practices that exist outside the mainstream — those at the ‘edge’ of dominant culture,” she said.
Exhibition and Symposium
The exhibition opened last Friday and was accompanied by a symposium on Saturday, supported by the City of Mandurah and held at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. The symposium featured a keynote presentation by UWA’s Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery curator Lee Kinsella, artist talks, and a panel discussion moderated by artist and UWA fine arts lecturer Andy Quilty. The program explored contemporary printmaking practice, material processes, and the theme of working at the margins.
Visit the Exhibition
The Marginalia Exhibition will run until June 26 at the Alcoa Mandurah Art Gallery and Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. It is open to the public from Mondays to Fridays, 10am to 5pm.
