Caro Toledo Exhibition @ Alliance Francaise Gallery

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by West End Girl (subscribe)

I'm an inner-city rambler who's happy to share my best finds with you. My writing turns up in the local street press, magazines, and more. (This week's pic: face on a pole, Vulture-Boundary St intersection.)

Event: 01/12/2011 - 23/12/2011

(c) Caro Toledo 2011

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Local artist Caro Toledo will show recent collage and other mixed media works in her latest exhibition, 'A Guestroom of One's Own', opening at the Alliance Francaise Gallery in West End on Thursday 1 December.

French-born Caro moved to Sydney in 1986, and began experimenting with collage as a way of making sense of the new world in which she found herself.

Her artworks bring together vintage images and carefully chosen text to create beautiful, surprising and often very funny images.

Many of these works reflect on male-female relationships and the games of intimacy, cleverly juxtaposing romantic cliches with painful truths about love. While the results are frequently laugh-out-loud funny, Caro's works also make telling points about the gap between truth and desire, reality and illusion.

(c) Caro Toledo 2011

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A number of Caro's pieces also incorporate needlework, which acts both as a tribute to the skill and beauty of this traditionally female craft, and as a subtle way of bringing ideas of domesticity and entanglement to the fore. The exhibition at the Alliance will feature hand-embroidered doilies, but you can bet they'll go places your average doily never has.

(c) Caro Toledo 2011

Currently finishing her Masters degree at the Queensland College of Art, Caro has previously shown in a number of group exhibitions, including the First Run show held earlier this year in West End. She'll exhibit about 30 works at the Alliance gallery, with most for sale (prices start from $80 for small works).

alliance francaise photo by west end girl

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If you're wondering about the Alliance Francaise, it's an international organisation committed to promoting French language and culture. Previously based in the city, the Alliance moved to larger premises in West End about 18 months ago. As well as holding exhibitions in its gallery, the Alliance runs a regular French cinema night and book club, and organises special cultural events. Other photographers and artists are welcome to apply to show at the Alliance Gallery. Visit their website for more details.

PS The Alliance Francaise is just across the road from Davies Park (home of West End's Saturday markets) and right next door to Espresso Garage (home of fine coffee) -- just in case you're looking to combine a visit to Caro's show with another pleasure or two.