Page 116 - Port Douglas Magazine 47

ART IN THE

TROPICS

The Artists Putting

Port Douglas On The Map

WORDS by Maura Mancini Chrissie McLaughlin and her arwork “Little Bird”
In Port Douglas natural light shapes everything. It moves across the Coral McLaughlin’s own practice distils the essence of the surrounding environment
Sea, filters through rainforest canopies, and changes dramatically with the rather than depicting it directly. Mangrove systems, coastal edges, and rainforest
seasons. Its shifting moods, deep and lush in the wet, crisp and defined in interiors are translated into layered compositions, where veils of pigment and
the dry fuel the creativity of local artists and is a key source of inspiration. gestural marks suggest rather than describe. Years of plein air painting between
Port Douglas is quietly carving out a reputation as a hub for vibrant artistic Cape Tribulation and Port Douglas inform her work, which is resolved in
practice. the studio into contemplative forms. Represented in local resorts and private
Increasingly, work produced in this small coastal town is being seen well collections worldwide, her paintings bring the subtleties of the tropics to
audiences far beyond the region.
beyond Far North Queensland, with artists exhibiting across Australia and
internationally. Balancing her practice with her role as PDA secretary, McLaughlin highlights
the breadth of artistic styles emerging locally and the increasing profile of these
At the centre of this growing momentum is Port Douglas Artists Inc. (PDA), artists. “There’s a real mix now, painters, weavers, ceramicists, print maker,
a volunteer-run, not-for-profit association established in 2015. Representing photographers, people working across different mediums,” she said. “And they’re
artists across the Douglas Shire, the group encompasses a broad range of not just showing locally anymore.”
practices, from painting and printmaking to sculpture, textiles and digital media,
supporting both emerging and established artists. This shift is evident in members’ recent achievements. Janet Morris exhibited
along Portobello Road in London, bringing a slice of Far North Queensland
When I caught up with artist Chrissie McLaughlin over a cool drink, a long-term to an iconic international art precinct. Sam Mathews received the Flying Arts
member and advocate within PDA, she described the organisation’s evolution as Queensland Remote Award, with exhibitions in Brisbane and Bundaberg, a
gradual but significant. milestone for artists working outside metropolitan centres.
“I’ve seen it grow over the years,” she said. “There’s always been creativity here, Closer to home, the relationship with Cairns’ key art institutions continue
but now there’s more structure, more opportunities, and more visibility for artists to provide a pathway for regional artists to engage with broader audiences,
working in the region.” Annual group curated shows have raised the professional strengthening links between local practice and the wider arts sector. Exhibitions
level as a group and as individuals in all facets of art practice.
at NorthSite Contemporary Arts feature PDA artists regularly, including more
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