Act like you belong and nobody will ask.

That was the idea that fuelled a recent trip for Sydney artist Eliza Gosse, traversing the desert from Los Angeles to Palm Springs, sneaking into the poolside escapes in the Sonoran Desert with the hypothesis that “Pool Towels Are Softer At Tennis Clubs”.

Turns out they are.

With architect husband Benj, the couple hit the road in a 1987 Ford Mustang GT sourced from an online community of classic car enthusiasts. Along the way there was a Back to the Future-spec DeLorean, keeping it in theme.

Wearing a silk scarf Gosse would smile politely at the maître d’ in her tennis whites and request two towels before nestling into a polyester pool lounge, position those famous adjustable sunshades, and call for two margaritas.

 

 

Based on these escapades, Pool Towels Are Softer At Tennis Clubs is now a series of paintings by Gosse, the inspiration for the works derived predominantly from the motels, bars and clubs that define California’s desert oasis and its suburban surrounds. In her first solo showing in Melbourne, the exhibition is on this September/October.

“Rarely was I staying or dining at any of these clubs, but it was our honeymoon and we managed to pull on some heartstrings, Gosse says. “Failing that, the plan was always to sit by the pool until someone told us to leave.”

 

While the interest in modernist architecture has grown in contemporary culture over the past few years, Gosse has become known for contributing in her own way to the appreciation for the timeless design of the 50s and 60s. Working out of her studio in a shared art space in a Woolloomooloo terrace, she captures the essence of important façades and visual scenarios that have stood the test of time.

The latest series is a departure from the typical suburban scenery she grew up with at home. If the previous works were a nod to the quietness of Australian suburbia with its cream bricks and bronzed timber (an earlier exhibition was labeled ‘Mission Brown’), the new series sees Gosse experimenting with a world of colour that conveys a new playfulness, capturing the vibrant palette of vintage USA.

“I think more than anything, the light in Sydney, the weather and the sunshine has affected my work, and I think that shines through in my paintings. 

“It was nice to seek inspiration beyond Australia. Palm Springs is filled with examples of mid century design, which we keenly sought out. The famed houses, typically owned by celebrities, were difficult to approach so we found inspiration in the smaller places and unique motels we discovered.

“We found a lot more pops of colour, with natural lighting that is so similar to what I work with at home. I just love painting with harsh shadows and the type of contrast you only get in really sunny locations.”

www.elizagosse.com