Homecoming: Terry Martin’s new exhibition opens soon

Total Eclipse (2025), 220mm high, turned and textured mango

From 7 February to 22 March, Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery will host an exhibition by wood artist Terry Martin. He grew up in the town, but left in the late 1960s, so he has called this exhibition Homecoming. ‘I spent some of the most formative years of my life in Swan Hill and the echoes of its environment still shape much of my work: the smell of the trees, the crystal-clear sky, the eternal River Murray, the crackling frosts and searing summers.’

Terry has four generations of family there and a family visit a few years ago was the trigger for the show, as he explains: ‘I noticed that there was a Regional Art Gallery, something that we never dreamed of when I was a boy. I met the Director and he immediately saw the potential for me bringing a show there. None of my relatives have had much of an idea of what I do, so it is a good chance to bring them into my world.’

Angie’s Tree (2026), 230mm wide, red mallee

The gallery is newly expanded, and the space is now enormous, so Terry has been working on pieces for nearly two years: ‘I haven’t been in the new space yet and it’s tricky planning for a show when you’ve only seen photos. The distribution of pieces on walls, shelves and plinths needs to be well balanced, so I decided that I would take more pieces than I need. I will be driving 1600km down with around 70 carefully packed pieces because I can’t risk someone else damaging them in transit.’

Terry has created pieces that reflect the environment he grew up in. ‘I remember the crystal-clear sky, so I have pieces about that, including Total Eclipse. The trees dominate my memory of that time and over many years I have been making my Trees out of red mallee, which is endemic to the region. My niece Angela cut some burls for me, and Angie’s Tree is one piece that I made from that wood.

Another piece was inspired by the typical response when you ask locals a question, as in ‘How are you doing?’ The answer always starts with, ‘Yeah…nah’, so I made a piece with that name. I also wanted to feature the biting frosty winters, so I made Frosty Morning over the Murray. My family have Irish ancestry, so Celtic Roots is my way of reflecting that.’

Images: Terry Martin

Learn more about Terry Martin at terrymartinwoodartist.com/news.html

See also the Art Gallery of Swan Hill website at swanhillregionalartgallery.com.au