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may 29 - june 16
Ultimate Tool -
The one-stop shop for Alpha Men
Alister Karl
Andy Hutson
Ben Ernst
Ben Rowett
Justine Barlow
Strafe
Curated by Susannah Garden
Exhibition design by Adam Paikos and Susannah Garden
Ultimate Tool: The one-stop shop for Alpha Men is an irreverent investigation of male archetypes. Nestled amongst the products in a mock hardware store, the works by Justine Barlow, Ben Ernst, Andy Hutson, Alister Karl, Ben Rowett and Strafe interrogate the contrived, performative nature of gender, and the notion of the unchanging, ultimate male ideal. Utilising photography, sculpture, drawing, painting and installation, these young artists address the implications of this concept, whilst also referencing the branding of the exhibition space. They have employed brash imagery and symbols to contribute to both a single installation, and a group exhibition that is one part parody and two parts pastiche.
by Kirsten Lyttle
The Western world has long had a love affair with the South Pacific. Travelogues of early explorers, philosophers and anthropologists sparked the European imagination with tales of Paradise filled with “uncivilized” noble savages and dusky maidens.
In Post World War II America, the romantic notion of the naive yet erotic Polynesian Princess was commercialized as an icon of leisure and freedom. “Polynesian pop” reduced the rich culture of Island life to a land of tiki bars, garish shirts and grass skirts.
The objectification of the South Pacific woman that continues to dominate the Western psyche is far removed from the reality of Polynesia. Nuclear testing, rising water levels, poverty, and limited opportunities for education or employment are white-washed by the desire for escapism and the dream of Paradise.
Rather than being represented by a caricature whose only known expression is to smile invitingly at the viewer, Lyttle offers an alternate reality, one where the object stares back at the viewer, reclaiming her identity and independence. Pacific Idols is a bold collection of medium scale digital images that come together as a conclusive body of research.
Kirsten Lyttle has just returned from exhibiting at Oedipus Rex Gallery in Auckland. This is her second solo exhibition at red gallery.
the immaculate misconception
the immaculate misconception is an evolutionary epic depicted through 50 works on paper. The small scale works read as pages across the gallery investigating the notion of the not so innocent toy. Naive and surrealist in approach, the paintings set out to question if toys exploit or reinforce our innate desire for and conflict.
Consumption begins early in life and toys become the medium with which a child can build and justify the saga of good versus evil. The resulting paintings are small snippets of thought that run through a childlike story line.
Robin Astley is a graduate of Deakin University. This is her first exhibition at red gallery.
Robin Astley will be exhibiting her latest body of research Hatches, Matches and Dispatches at red gallery in October 2008.
Installation view of the immaculate misconception by Robin Astley
opening night drinks
wednesday may 30
6-8pm
exhibition duration: may 29 - june 16