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FRONT GALLERY
PHANTOM
by Mitchell Asquith
The paintings in Phantom capture the witness of time passing. Each figure is ensnared within a continuously changing reality, broken down by the present and re cast through the traces left by memory.
Tension is inherent in the work. The shattered surface reflects an ambiguous landscape of appearances yet reveals the vulnerable subject that cannot be fully devoured by its fluctuating reality. The individual cannot fully disappear.
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BACK GALLERY
NO HARD FEELINGS
by Benjamin Coombs, Chris Costa,
Brigit Maher & Conrad Square
Off the Kerb invites you to “No Hard Feelings”; a group show where four artists were selected for each of their distinctive perspectives on the role of human emotions in art. Each of the artists work in different media and individual colour palettes ranging from computer generated art to acrylic on canvas, yet they share similarities in concepts and the emotions you feel when viewing each piece.
Based in Melbourne, Benjamin Coombs is inspired from decades of varied interests & experiences whether it be 80s skateboard graphics, vintage signs & secondhand stores, day to day life and the dilemmas of human existence. Typography often creeps into Benjamin’s work in various forms & his love of the “warts & all” blemishes or mistakes that can often create that finishing touch to a particular piece. Inspirations in the art world are the classics like Basquiat & Warhol through to contemporaries like Mike Giant, Wes Lang, & Marty Baptist.
Chris Costa is a young freelance creative working as a graphic designer, owner/operator of Badlands Brand and exhibiting artist in Melbourne. Generating work from his home studio with the assistance of his canine design team, Chris takes inspiration from designers like Aaron Draplin, tattoo artist Clare Hampshire, sreet artist Shepard Fairey, not necessarily for their style but for the key principles that they all use. Bold Lines and strong attention to detail. A small timer doing big things with a love for bold and simplistic design. Heavy doses of caffeine, hard work and music get him through each day.
Brigit Maher is a Melbourne based artist, photographer, and illustrator. Currently studying Textile Design at RMIT, Brigit takes inspiration from her surroundings to produce her work. Utilizing empty space and a selective colour palette alongside everyday objects and places, she endeavors to redefine her normally familiar subject matter by changing the context in which it exists. Her work tackles topics such as mental health, relationships and identity. Brigit has self-published an array of zines, as well as contributing content to other publications. She has also won multiple awards for her photography work.
Conrad Squares’ signature style, pairs a unique composition of big-eared, helmet wearing robots in a system of numbers, shapes, and typography. This vivid cast of mechanical characters are vessels to push topics such as sociology, consumerism, and individuality in the 21st century. The words and numbers found in his painting are all derived from the streets of his hometown in Melbourne. These additional details compliment his pop-art style with the likes of “street-collage” and appropriation techniques.
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SIDE GALLERY
LINEAR
by Dominic Taranto
'Linear' is the most recent work by Melbourne based artist and muralist Dominic Taranto, a journey into the study of line work. For Dominic the technique of drawing lines to create art is a simplification of materials yet allows for the opportunity to create complex imagery. Along with pastel colour, geometric shapes and patterns he elevates line work to a more modern space.
‘ We adore chaos because we love to produce order.’ - Escher.
Line work has been a foundational tool since the beginning. How can something so simple be so hard to master? Because the possibilities are limitless and this is Dominic’s beginning.
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UPSTAIRS GALLERY
THE SOUND OF A HANDSHAKE
by Carmelo Grasso
This series of illustrations attempts to observe a society living within the city of Melbourne during large scale infrastructural changes, which are currently taking place, in an attempt to bring to light the effect these changes have on the citizen’s approach to urban life, while identifying whatever friction these changes may impose on ones sense of place and ability to adapt to change.
Through negative space, the drawings imply an emerging city coming into being, a new face and personality to contend with the demands of the 21st century. A city continually alluding an uncertain future and an undefined present.
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