The Moral Meaning of Wilderness
This exhibition is hosted by the Queensland College of Art, held at the campus art gallery.
As I wondered into the exhibition hall I couldn’t help but notice the infinitely superior facilities QCA possessed. We plodded down the tall glass hallway which led to the exhibition, everything is white and institutionalized but as we reach the gallery the lights are dimmed and much more natural. From what I can see from the entrance it looks like it’s going to be some more middle aged “Tribute to the Environment on Huge Canvas” bullshit.
And it is, however I still have a look around the 10 or so paintings it is a course requirement after all.
Then I notice 2 paintings on the last wall I inspect. One is of the artist painting a nude while cartoon figures march through the background. I start to feel like maybe this artist has a sense of humor (which would be refreshing). The one beside it also catches my eye it’s also a painting of nude women 2 of them, one a red head (a fact I can’t help reiterating every time my eyes are drawn to the orange flame of pubic hair). This might all sound a bit cliché but it turns out the artist is actually a gay man, this adds a layer of complexity to these sexual images.
Viewing them I get the impression the artist is actually commenting on the experience of a gay man who is also a professional artist this scenario makes sense considering his style is quite traditional which always comes with certain expectations of subject matter.
The series of paintings seem to be about the Australian landscape and sex.
Thinking this I return to the entrance to read the artist bio and the exhibition review.
This exhibition is in fact about the warped relationship Australia has with our environment.
Bluntly it’s about the rape of our natural resources but it’s also a commentary on how we as a society have a pride of the natural features of our country but don’t make a connection with the way we are violating it.
When I was planning to visit this exhibition I did not have high hopes for something mind blowing and in truth it wasn’t. The style Juan works in a find quite tedious however I respect his skill. My personal taste aside I did enjoy the concept and the story he is telling with this exhibition Juan has taken an interesting approach to a subject that most of the time when portrayed in art is just hippy crap.
As I wondered into the exhibition hall I couldn’t help but notice the infinitely superior facilities QCA possessed. We plodded down the tall glass hallway which led to the exhibition, everything is white and institutionalized but as we reach the gallery the lights are dimmed and much more natural. From what I can see from the entrance it looks like it’s going to be some more middle aged “Tribute to the Environment on Huge Canvas” bullshit.
And it is, however I still have a look around the 10 or so paintings it is a course requirement after all.
Then I notice 2 paintings on the last wall I inspect. One is of the artist painting a nude while cartoon figures march through the background. I start to feel like maybe this artist has a sense of humor (which would be refreshing). The one beside it also catches my eye it’s also a painting of nude women 2 of them, one a red head (a fact I can’t help reiterating every time my eyes are drawn to the orange flame of pubic hair). This might all sound a bit cliché but it turns out the artist is actually a gay man, this adds a layer of complexity to these sexual images.
Viewing them I get the impression the artist is actually commenting on the experience of a gay man who is also a professional artist this scenario makes sense considering his style is quite traditional which always comes with certain expectations of subject matter.
The series of paintings seem to be about the Australian landscape and sex.
Thinking this I return to the entrance to read the artist bio and the exhibition review.
This exhibition is in fact about the warped relationship Australia has with our environment.
Bluntly it’s about the rape of our natural resources but it’s also a commentary on how we as a society have a pride of the natural features of our country but don’t make a connection with the way we are violating it.
When I was planning to visit this exhibition I did not have high hopes for something mind blowing and in truth it wasn’t. The style Juan works in a find quite tedious however I respect his skill. My personal taste aside I did enjoy the concept and the story he is telling with this exhibition Juan has taken an interesting approach to a subject that most of the time when portrayed in art is just hippy crap.
This exhibition was for me a more intellectual experience as opposed to an aesthetically pleasing gallery visit.
Nelson Gibbons
No comments:
Post a Comment