NEAR ENOUGH (IS GOOD ENOUGH) II explores Australian photographer Frank Hurley's documentation of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914 – 1917).
Led by Ernest Shackleton, the expedition aimed to cross the Antarctic continent. Instead, the expedition is remembered for its failure and recklessness, and as an unbelievable feat of survival after their ship, the Endurance, was crushed by pack ice and sank.
This exhibition critiques the colonial and patriarchal ambitions of the expedition, as well as its environmental consequences. Drawing on Hurley’s photographs—many of which are housed in the State Library of New South Wales—it reflects on how these images, originally captured using the early Paget colour process, now display unintentional and non-indexical hues. These altered colourations become a point of departure for experimenting with painting techniques, new pigments, and diverse substrates.
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Join us from 6.00 pm for the opening of NEAR ENOUGH (IS GOOD ENOUGH) II by Aaron Butt. Don’t miss a special in-conversation with Aaron and curator Laura Brinin starting at 5:30 pm — a chance to hear more about the ideas behind the work before the exhibition officially opens.

Green Endurance 2025
Acrylic on canvas board
37.5 x 47.5cm
$350 Framed

Little Green Men 2025
Acrylic on canvas
91 x 122 cm
$900 Framed

Figure Climbing Ice 2024
Acrylic on ACP
38 x 27.5 cm
$300 Framed

Two Figures 2025
Acrylic on black canvas
50 x 40 cm
$350

Two Figures II 2024
Acrylic on MDF
39 x 29 cm
$350 Framed

Distant Figures 2024
Oil on board
25 x 35 cm
$350 Sold

Three Blind Mice 2024
Acrylic on card
39.5 x 39.5 cm
$300 Framed

Figure with Mound 2025
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 40 cm
$250

Figure On The Endurance 2024
Acrylic and ink on canvas board
30.5 x 41 cm
$250

Camp 2024
Acrylic on manila folder
35.5 x 46.5 cm
$200 Framed

Figures And Dogs 2024
Acrylic on canvas
40.5 x 51 cm
$350

Landscape 2025
Acrylic on canvas
31.5 x 91.5 cm
$400

Raising the Flags 2024
Acrylic on card
69.5 x 50.5 cm
$400 Framed

Landscape II 2024
Acrylic and oil on MDF
29 x 29 cm
$250 Framed

Little Green Men (study) 2024
Oil on card
24.5 x 25 cm
$150 Framed

The Rescue 2024
Acrylic on card
23 x 27.5 cm
$150 Sold

The Watch Tower 2024
Acrylic on mdf
32 x 27.5 cm
$200

Endurance In The Ice 2024
Acrylic and oil on canvas board
25.5 x 30.5 cm
$200

Road to Nowhere 2025
Acrylic and oil on canvas board
26.5 x 31.5 cm
$200 Framed

Ghost Ship 2025
Acrylic and enamel on board
21 x 13.5 cm
$200 Sold

Endurance in the Ice (coloured) 2024
Acrylic and oil on canvas
30.5 x 41 cm
$300

Figure On The Ice

Team Meeting 2024
Acrylic on canvas
30.5 x 41 cm
$300

Figures 2024
Oil on card
14 x 21 cm
$100 Framed

Figure With Anchor 2025
Acrylic on board
25 x 20 cm
$200

Figure and Dog 2024
Oil on card
27.5 x 21 cm
$150 Sold

Fire on the Ice 2025
Acrylic on paper
22 x 22 cm
$100 Framed

The March 2024
Oil on board
15 x 53.5 cm
$300

Landscape III 2025
Oil on timber box
21.5 x 59 cm
$300

Group Shot 2025
Acrylic on canvas
40 x 50 cm
$350 Framed

A Little Patience 2025
Acrylic and oil on canvas
40 x 50 cm
$350

Camp in Green 2024
Acrylic on paper
41 x 29.5 cm
$150 Framed

Launching the Boats 2024
Acrylic on ACP
21 x 39 cm
$300 Framed

Mountains 2025
Acrylic on ply
5 x 37 cm
$200

Launching The Boats Ii 2024
Acrylic on manila folder
24 x 35.5 cm
$150 Sold

Scuffle 2025
Graphite and acrylic on manila folder
24 x 35.5 cm
$150 Framed

Two Small Figures 2025
Oil on board
19 x 34 mm
$200

Landscape with Glacier 2025
Acrylic on board
28 x 32.5 cm
$250

Camp with Mountains 2024
Acrylic and oil on canvas
30.5 x 30.5 cm
$250

Endurance Behind The Ice 2024
Acrylic on paper mounted on card
21 x 29 cm
$150 Framed

Hurley with the Endurance 2025
Acrylic on paper
19.5 x 28.5 cm
$150 Framed

Glacier 2025
Acrylic on timber
10 x 30cm
$150 Framed

Aurora I 2024
Fluoro marker on card
23 x 27 cm
$150 Framed

Aurora II 2024
Fluoro marker on card
23 x 27 cm
$150 Framed

Aurora III 2024
Fluoro marker on card
23 x 27 cm
$150 Framed

Painted Pages 2025
Acrylic on magazine pages
30 x 30 cm
$50 ea