Balmain

Welcome to our new subscribers! Thank you for your support. Here’s a quick run down of what’s happening at invisible art space and nearby

::: NOW :::

Thanks to all the visitors for Melody Owen // Pearl Hyacinth’s recent exhibition both in gallery + in virtual world space / Second Life + Elizabeth Rankin’s current exhibition. It’s been great to catch up, see these artists’ works, chat about art (in person and virtually) and support both of their work. Their roomsheets, artist info + more are available via the links, or visit the website and view their exhibition articles.

This coming weekend, 26-27 September from 12-3pm, is the final chance to see Elizabeth’s exhibition

Elizabeth Rankin. The Image of Her exhibition (selected works, install view). 2026

::: NEXT :::

We’re installing next week for Queensland artist, Katie McErlean’s Jelly exhibition, residency and school holiday workshops for kids + adults, running from 30 September - 07 October inclusive.

Katie is a good friend who I’ve known since our days working at a FTA TV station in Brisbane in the late 1990s/early 2000s, where she worked in the graphics department, creating graphics for nightly News and other Production programs using Quantel Paintbox and other machines/tools as well as graphics for Newspapers in Sydney. Speaking of which.. Paintbox is having a resurgence with international digital artists these days and the 2025 Paintboxed exhibitions in NYC & Basel etc.

Katie’s been an artist for longer than I’ve known her and is well known for her colourful, expressive impasto works, including many ocean-related themes. Getting back into exhibiting mode following years of running kids art making workshops, we’re looking forward to welcoming her to Balmain/Sydney! Katie always brings the fun — you can expect the gallery to be filled with Jellyfish themed artworks during her visit! There’s still time to book in for workshops if you’re looking for fun activities to do over the break. We’ll be setting up a couple of immersive experiences for visitors during her residency, keep an eye out for photos on the socials. More details on the website

Katie McErlean. Jelly exhibition invite. 2026

::: SOON :::

01 November 2026 ::: [In]Visible Sound System @ [In]Visible Synth Sessions #7 -> improv synth sounds ::: music from Spoid, ATMM, Zita on theremin + razzaton. Keep an eye out for the livestreaming details closer to the time and you can tune in to their performance remotely. We’ve heard a preview of razzaton’s ambient soundscapes which will pair perfectly with the ISS sounds. All being well, there’ll be more gigs in December (TBC)

[In]Visible Synth Sessions #7

:::

02-28 November 2026 ::: Emily Simek (Mel) and Shelley Watters (Syd) collaborative studio residency → composting as methodology. I’m looking forward to seeing what will be created as part of Emily and Shelley’s residency — possibly some textiles, prints, video? + more

Emily Simek + Shelley Watters. Composting as Methodology studio residency

::: LATER :::

February is shaping up to have a couple of exciting exhibitions from international artists during their Sydney visits:

February 2027 ::: Chie Tokuyama (Japan) + Carla Francis (writer) -> a collaborative exhibition of paintings and written works considering the Japanese concept of ichigo ichie and how chance meetings and unexpected encounters, particularly across cultures, can fundamentally change the trajectory of a person’s life

February 2027 ::: Chie Tokuyama (Japan) -> solo painting exhibition

::: GENERAL NEWS :::

- south, a decentralised exhibition taking place in multiple Southern Hemisphere / Global South / South-identifying places is postponed until 2027 so we can work with more locations and take time to prepare (plus some infrastructure work is taking place in october at the gallery)

- planning is underway for 2027 invisible program of exhibitions and events. If you have an idea for an exhibition/curation, let’s chat (our rates are quite reasonable, for Sydney)

- https://www.invisibleart.space website has been updated — there’s a new custom theme/look for the site. Current and upcoming shows have a page for their info, and previous shows’ articles are being added over the coming weeks

- tshirts! we have invisible tshirts, in black — at least these will be my new summer uniform. If anyone’s interested in grabbing one, please reach out

- call for interest: we’re hoping to host Writers Bloc Balmain sessions, depending on interest (possibly late 2026, otherwise in 2027). These sessions are for writers to come along and write quietly, with others. Geoff Orton does a great job running this site/project — see https://thewritersbloc.net/write-here. You may have joined/seen the previous Sydney sessions at 107 Projects in Redfern. There’s also online sessions for those wishing to join in from home. See info on the WB website. If this is of interest, please reach out or post a note on the writers bloc site. If I join in, I may actually make progress on the invisible POD/PDF catalogs I keep dreaming of..

Have a great month and see you out and about soon. Feel free to share this newsletter, it’s the best way to find out what’s coming up, in one place

https://buttondown.com/invisibleart.space
https://substack.com/home/post/p-217047786

KATIE MCERLEAN JELLY 30 September - 07 October 2026

Jelly is a solo exhibition of original Jelly works on archival paper, ink, acrylic and paint, residency and series of school holiday workshops for children and adults by Queensland artist, Katie McErlean.

About Katie McErlean
Katie McErlean is a Brisbane-based contemporary artist whose distinctive practice explores colour, movement, femininity and the playful beauty of the natural world.

Working across painting, mixed media, murals and wearable art, Katie creates expressive, highly recognisable works that sit between contemporary art and design. Her signature aesthetic is vibrant yet sophisticated, combining fluid forms, unexpected colour and a sense of movement that invites the viewer to look a little closer.

After years of building a successful creative career through art education, workshops and community-based projects, Katie is now entering an exciting new chapter — placing her own art practice firmly at the centre.

Her work is increasingly focused on original paintings, commissioned works, murals, curated collaborations and limited-edition wearable art, with a particular interest in creating pieces for considered interiors, private collectors, hospitality spaces and design-led environments.

Katie’s fascination with the ocean and its creatures has become a recurring visual language within her practice. Her Jelly series, for example, transforms the jellyfish into something ethereal and unexpected — simultaneously delicate, powerful and otherworldly.

Her work is designed to bring personality to a space without losing sophistication. Each piece is created by hand, with an emphasis on originality, craftsmanship and the emotional response that art can create within an environment.

Based in Brisbane, Katie works from her studio while exhibiting, collaborating and undertaking commissions both nationally and internationally.

Katie McErlean is an artist for collectors who want something distinctive — art with energy, personality and a strong sense of place.

https://katietheartist.com.au/pages/bio

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EVENT DETAILS:

What: Jelly (solo exhibition of original Jelly works on archival paper, ink, acrylic and paint)

Artist: Katie McErlean

Where: invisible art space 141/2-18 Buchanan St Balmain

When: 30 September – 07 October 2026

Gallery hours: 10am-12pm Weekdays, 10am-3pm Saturdays and Sundays

Cost: FREE – workshop bookings via https://katietheartist.com.au/pages/sdy-workshop

Links:

Gallery: invisible art space https://www.invisibleart.space + https://www.instagram.com/invisibleart.space

Exhibition info:

https://www.invisibleart.space/katie-the-artist-jelly-30-september-07-oc...

Artist: Katie McErlean https://katietheartist.com.au

The Image of Her is a solo exhibition by Elizabeth Rankin of paintings, textiles and video exploring Simone de Beauvoir’s question of female embodiment via the bodies of older women and pregnant women and the changes that these two things bring.

The Image of Her

September 05-September 27 2026

Elizabeth Rankin

One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman
Simone de Beauvoir

In The Second Sex, Simone de Beauvoir sketches a kind of existential history of a woman ’s life: a story of how a woman’s attitude towards her body and bodily functions changes over the years, and of how society influences this attitude. Here, de Beauvoir raises the core question of female embodiment: Are the supposed disadvantages of the female body actual disadvantages which exist objectively in all societies, or are they merely judged to be disadvantages by our society? A woman ’s body is the site of this ambiguity, for she can use it as a vehicle for her freedom and also feel oppressed by it.

De Beauvoir argues that it is not the biological condition of women that constitutes a handicap: it is how a woman construes this condition which renders it positive or negative. None of the uniquely female experiences – the development of female sex organs, menstruation, pregnancy, menopause – have a meaning in themselves; but in a hostile or oppressive society.

In this exhibition, Elizabeth Rankin does not portray perfect bodies, or exaggerated imperfect bodies, but the bodies of older women and pregnant women with the changes that these two things bring. The hands of the women deny total access to their bodies and at the same time are self-caressing and self -defining. Included is a painted dress that her painted women might enjoy, with images painted on the cloth to extend the meaning of the forms. Dress is the new skin chosen to mask or display the self and here stands just as itself untethered to a body. Related to this is Rankin’s short video Thin Ice, in which hand drawn watercolour images of women celebrate the body through dance. The fluttering shapes quiver and twirl to a pattern in adjusting patterns and groupings in silent agreement.

Exhibition runs 05-27 September at invisible art space, 141/2-18 Buchanan St Balmain. Gallery open sat+sun 12-3pm. Drinks with the artist sat 05 + sun 06 September 2026
https://www.invisibleart.space/elizabeth-rankin-the-image-of-her-05-27-s...

Melody Owen's (Portland, Oregon) exhibition includes hand-made speculative ecology collage prints linked to digital augmented reality animations, plus a ten-year retrospective of her digital avatar, Pearl Hyacinth's explorations in virtual 3D worlds.

15-29 August 2026
Sat+Sun 12-3pm
invisible art space
141/2-18 Buchanan St Balmain

download roomsheet (PDF)

[In]Visible Synth Sessions

synth music improv set
saturday
01 august 2026 ::: 12-3pm

music from
[In]Visible Sound System:
Spoid
ATMM
Zita on Theremin
+ guests:
Mushi on guitar
+ more tbc

141/2-18 Buchanan St, Balmain

Linda Loh's QUIVER exhibition emerges from her studio residency at invisible art space in May 2026 and is an iteration of previous works exploring the orb form. Loh notes: "The orbs are restless, quivering representations of luminous circular forms, existing and not existing, hovering in their own version of space. Extending the recurring themes of light, circles and blurred boundaries, the opportunity to access multiple screens enabled the integration of various versions, culminating in an abstraction of ideas informing the work: multiplicity, “all at once,” entanglement, parallel play, infinity, forever, symbols, ascension, “self” and more." It is Loh's first solo exhibition in Sydney and the first time all of her video and digital-based orbs have been shown at once.

Orbs can be seen in both analog and digital photography as transparent, circular phenomena appearing unexpectedly within the photograph. There is debate over what causes them — is it dirt or reflections of light on the camera's lens or flash, or something more paranormal [1][12].

Orbs have a philosophical history also — Plato's Symposium features orbs: Aristophanes’ speech mentions that original human beings were spherical in form, with four arms, four legs and two faces looking in opposite directions [3]. Zeus was jealous of their strength and cut them into two, and they've been trying to return to their original form as One since then, only succeeding through love [3][2]. The circular form of the orb has indicated Oneness in many cultures throughout history [4].

Loh’s orbs glow and pulsate light emitted from the darkness of the black screens. One screen is mounted at eye height on the wall, bathed in the light from a projector. Ten screens of various dimensions, from 12" to 52", are placed on the gallery floor, reminiscent of Richard Serra's Casting (1969) work, lifting the installation beyond a purely pictorial object [5]. Loh's screens are placed in both vertical and horizontal orientation on the floor adjacent to the wall and horizontally on the wall, which extends Serra's horizontal floor layout. Circular reflections fill the floor gaps between the display devices. The orbs are beautiful to look at, the colours are harmonious and they fit within what Peter Schjeldahl calls Baudelaire's definition of beauty as a "spark between something fleeting and something timeless" [6] in both concept and visual aspects. Loh's light-filled orbs quiver, as the exhibition title suggests. Circular patterns of colour, oscillating fields of light-based electromagnetic frequencies create space within the installation. This work is one of pure light, with the screens emitting light from the electronics within. It's a sharp contrast to traditional paintings where layers of paint cover the canvas, representing light within the frame.

Scientific research on light shows that like wind, light can push objects in its path [7], it creates movement. Loh's orbs are activated, the wisps of colour move slowly around the form, and pulsate like the activation of energy in the electrons themselves. We're seeing frequencies of light moving at its most basic level. Light has been studied throughout time, from Euclid of Alexandria in his c. 300 BC Optica record of observations [8], to Isaac Newton's 1704 book Opticks and Michael Faraday and James Clerk Maxwell's work on the electromagnetic spectrum in the 1800s through to Werner Heisenberg's self-titled Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle effectively noting that "existence at the quantum level seems to be metaphysical rather than material" [9]. Karen Barad notes that matter and meaning are entangled at the atomic level and cannot be separated [10]. We're seeing light as consciousness, at the quantum scale [11] imagined by Loh's orbs. These lights are both borderless in their reflections and contained within their screens.

-- by Kath O'Donnell, May 2026

References
Barad, Karen Michelle. 2007. Meeting the Universe Halfway : Quantum Physics and the Entanglement of Matter and Meaning. Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780822388128.
Invisible Art Space. 2026. Invisible Art Space. Accessed on 25 May, https://www.invisibleart.space.
Krauss, Rosalind. 1999. A Voyage on the North Sea - Art in the Age of the Post-Medium Condition. London: Thames and Hudson. https://monoskop.org/log/?p=7009.
Linda Loh. 2026. Linda Loh. Accessed on 25 May, https://lindaloh.com.
Merillat, Christian. 1997. The Gnostic Apostle Thomas: "Twin" of Jesus? The Gnostic Society Library. http://www.gnosis.org/thomasbook.
Pickering, John, and Hall, Katie. 2015. Orbs and Beyond : Communications and Revelations from Another Reality. New York: John Hunt Publishing Limited. ProQuest Ebook Central. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/qut/detail.action?docID=1964084.
Plato. 1999. The Symposium. Penguin Books (Great Ideas). Translated by Christopher Gill and Desmond Lee.
Schjeldahl, Peter. 2019. Hot, Cold, Heavy, Light, 100 Art Writings 1988-2018. New York: Abrams Press. Kindle eBook edition.
Underwood, Sandra. 2009. Orbs, Lightwaves, and Cosmic Consciousness. Bloomington, Indiana: Xlibris.

Footnotes
[1] (Pickering and Hall 2015, 15-28)
[2] (Merillat 1997, 15-16)
[3] (Plato 1999, 26-27)
[4] (Pickering and Hall 2015, 115)
[5] (Krauss 1999, 26). Image of Serra’s Casting (1969) shown in Krauss.
[6] (Schjeldahl 2019, 376)
[7] (Pickering and Hall 2015, 25)
[8] (Pickering and Hall 2015, 129)
[9] (Pickering and Hall 2015, 129-132)
[10] (Barad 2007, 20)
[11] (Pickering and Hall 2015, 114)
[12] (Underwood 2009, 137-9)