Hilary Herrmann

I have had dogs my whole life, but Shelley is the first I’ve ever socialised. I’ve always had farm dogs, never to leave the bounds of the land. Neurotic, clingy things. Shelley, the rescue pup, came to us early in the pandemic, when walks on the beach were our salvation, Shelley had to be a beach dog. So begins The Adventures of Shelley: For the last eighteen months, the Suffolk Park dog beach has been a place of contemplation and analysis. Many thoughts have been pondered, meaningful and meaningless. But dog antics and people antics disallow overthinking. Navigating the need for solitude or for socialisation, they slowly, windingly learn pieces of people’s lives. And other dogs- our uninhibited, joyful companions, sprinting, disobeying, and playing. Every morning we walk and wag on the sand, with Cape Byron framing one side of the beach and the beautiful windswept headland of Broken Head, the other. Sometimes the sights feel everyday, sometimes they feel overwhelming. The rolling waves, the cloud formations amongst the sunrise, the light, the sound. Each day realising how fortunate one is when so many are struggling. This series started with joy as its motivation. Now, I also recognise the catastrophic floods that have assailed our region. The trauma and the displacement of so many has saddened our entire community. Ninbella Gallery and I are committing 10% of the sales of this exhibition to local flood appeals. Hilary Herrmann