Featuring the work of 25 local and visiting artists, Northern Beaches Council is proud to present the much-anticipated fourth and final instalment in its Four Elements series of exhibitions: Fire.

Showing Wednesday 6 – Saturday 30 June at the Creative Space in North Curl Curl, Fire employs media from video and photography to painting; ceramic to fabric; found objects to exquisitely crafted objets – and much more.

Mayor Michael Regan said the Four Elements exhibition series had been a wonderful success.

“The Four Elements series has challenged artists to explore themes they may not have considered before and to experiment with their practice.

“Fire will challenge viewers to reflect on the diversity of symbolic and literal meanings of fire and flames,” Mayor Regan said.

Participating artists have risen to the challenge of revealing fire in its various forms - as integral to the Australian landscape, as mesmerising and terrifying, as creative power, as life metaphor – each artist providing an intimate insight to our relationship to a fundamental force of nature.

Works include Ben Rak’s haunting little installation In Culture After Culture, a flickering 'soul' remembrance candle bathed in klezmer music and looped video images of the artist surfing, reflecting the tensions between Ben’s religious heritage and his beach lifestyle.

Celebrated Canadian-born, Northern Beaches-based sculptor Sallie Portnoy celebrates fire’s positive aspects with Fire Man - a delightful, cocky, glittering Promethean figure crafted from bronze, glass and stone.

By contrast, Jude Hungerford’s Elements of Conflagration examines “the intensity and chaos of the bushfire”, using natural charcoal and ash, ink, paint and gold leaf on paper, creating a striking free-form, almost abstract painterly effect.

The Exhibition will be open daily from 10am to 4pm (and to 6pm on Thursdays and Fridays). Public programming includes:

- Exhibition opening Friday 8 June, 6 - 8pm

- Expressive Charcoal drawing workshop - Sunday 17 June 2-4pm at the Creative Space: Be guided through experimental mark making with Local artist Christina Frank

For details, visit northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au or call 9942 2488.