A cross can be an intersection of two lines, a crucifix, an addition, a multiplication, a hybridisation, a collaboration or an opposition. Gurambilbarra / Townsville based artist Jan Hynes has taken some of these diverse inspirations, merged them with wordplay, humour and her own visual language, and developed a series of vibrant, wall-based crosses and sculptures. In this way, the works are more than the intersections of their parts. 

Hynes has also created new works in response to the works in Cross Examine, which is itself a creative, curated response to Thoughts on the Cross. This cyclical, meta act further establishes the common ground between the two exhibitions. 

Visitors are invited to step into the role of interrogator when viewing these exhibitions - to discover the playful dialogue within and complete the visual conversations.

Jan Hynes (b. 1944) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans installations, sculptures and paintings. Her work is influenced by social issues and humour, and celebrates found materials, the everyday, and urban landscapes.
Hynes grew up in small country towns in Western Australia, later moving to Boorloo / Perth, Papua New Guinea and England, which broadened her appreciation for art. Returning to Australia and settling in Meanjin / Brisbane, Hynes was occupied with raising three young sons before going to art school to study painting in 1984. By 1987, the artist had completed a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in painting, at the Queensland College of Art. This was the catalyst to a professional career, exhibiting at the Roz MacAllen Gallery and in numerous group exhibitions and competitions. Relocating to Gurambilbarra / Townsville in 1996, Hynes enrolled in a Master of Creative Arts at James Cook University and has since been producing art. She has exhibited widely nationally, including the major solo exhibitions Hynesight (2003) and The Strand of Hynesight (2008) at Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, and the collaborative exhibition Work in Progress (2013) with Alan Valentine at Umbrella. Hynes has had work and installations featured in Strand Ephemera / Ephemera: Seaside Sculptures (2001-2023) and PUNQ festival (2021). She has also participated in the Percival Portrait Prize each year. Hynes has been awarded the Logan Art Prize for drawing and the Jacaranda Drawing Prize. Her work has been collected by Artbank and several regional Queensland galleries, including nineteen works in the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery collection.