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FRONT GALLERY
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS by CEZARY STULGIS
Throughout my work, dogs have acted as a metaphor for humans and their behavioural patterns. There is a definite figurative basis present that drives my work. My practice explores the human condition of life and death, love and loss, political relations.
Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 – 1900) proposed that ‘individual’ beliefs, values and behaviours in fact originate from an instinctual, and collective, ‘herd-mentality’. Nietzsche suggested that peer pressure intimidates individuals to think and behave in ways that minimise exclusion from the ‘herd’.
This new body of work titled “Strength in Numbers” explores the idea of a common goal of a group or pack with similar ideas or motivations, socially or politically. Not a new concept in any way. While retaining a strong belief in individuality and not going down the communism or fascism argument, I feel the tendency that we as people can have the power to shift and change the systems in place as long as we work together and not get fractured in to closed individual cubicles working purely for self gain.
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BACK GALLERY
BODY OF WORK: FREEDOM, FLIGHT AND FEATHERS by JONATHON HARRIS
The performance with no performer
“We are not shadows of our former selves, we use this shadow within this space and watch as the shadow becomes part of the light, as we become part of the light. Memories are something that are original to the person who is telling the original story.” This exhibition is the continuation of Jonathon Harris's exploration into the concept of memory. Featuring images and sculpture that
re-examine new and previously performed performance texts ‘Body of Work: Freedom, Flight and Feathers’ examines the notion of and give permission to look into another person’s eyes and see their emotions and memory.
This is how they felt
This is about who was lost,
This is about the numbers.
This is what was seen;
And even the broken-hearted can be fixed with something synthetic.
Jonathon Harris is a live and digital artist.
Taking inspiration from the culture(s) around him, his own experience and the views and actions of others, he weaves together stories and images for different stages and spaces. Harris has worked with artists and directors such as Rose English, Dawn Rose, Penny Howe, Fiona Blair Jane Badler, and Jude Anderson to produce one-man performances, site-specific work and digital artworks. Venues include: The Institute of Contemporary Arts, London; Kulturhuset Stadsteatern, Stockholm; The Art Gallery of Ballarat; The C3 Contemporary Art Space, Melbourne; Off the Kerb Gallery, Melbourne and Punctum Inc, Castlemaine.
Jonathon was chosen to perform during the 2015 Archibald Prize exhibition.
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SIDE GALLERY
PRETEND PLAY by ADAM OSEMRS
‘Pretend Play’ explores the process of creating intuitively and reawakening imaginative play. Through Adam’s intuitive process explorations of mark making, colour and play occur. ‘Pretend Play’ aims to reconnect to the imaginative play that occupied childhood. While also subverting the idea that when you grow up this freedom of play and imagination is lost to the expectations of Adulthood.
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UPSTAIRS GALLERY
ASTEROID 286 by YIYING LEE
“What makes the desert beautiful,’ said the little prince, ‘is that somewhere it hides a well…”
-Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
Asteroid 286 is a series of ink drawings and illustrated ceramics of fantastical and whimsical sceneries inspired by words from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The artist aims to explore her feelings of dealing with the loss of a loved one and finding peace in the healing process through images of space, nature, dreams and words.
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