Made From Rain - Rhys John KayeRhys John Kaye is a self-taught artist based in Naarm/Melbourne. He was born in Queensland but now resides in Melbourne. Rhys is a multidisciplinary artist who has a strong focus on oil painting. He adopts a guerrilla/street-art approach in his work, while also being trained in ceramics and drawing. In an interview with Fred Perry, he described his artistic direction as "Honest, Instinctive, and Expressive." These three pillars of self-expression are evident in his painting genre and personal style. His unique style spans across subcultures in hip-hop, punk, graffiti, and skateboarding. Although some are more apparent than others, they all overlap to some extent, and this is a defining feature of his practice.
The exhibition showcased 37 pieces of art by Rhys that explored different mediums such as oil on canvas, mixed media sculptures, and porcelain ceramics. The venue, No Vacancy Gallery, had an industrial aesthetic that complemented Rhys' style and inspiration. Visitors, who were dressed in unique clothes and carrying skateboards, added to the immersive representation of Rhys' inspiration.
The atmosphere at the exhibition was lively, with music that created an energizing vibe and visitors taking pictures and chatting with one another. The exhibition challenged the traditional notion of quiet viewing spaces, with loud experimental and hip-hop music playing in the background.
Overall, the exhibition represented Rhys' unique lifestyle in art in a chaotic yet stylish way. It was a must-see for anyone who enjoys art that breaks the mould and challenges traditional notions.
Out of the 37 works of art, number 26 caught my full attention initially. River City 2024 was vibrant in the foreground and impossible to ignore. The orange outline of the cool tones of greys and blues in the graffiti-inspired piece contrasted so well with the background display of what I interpreted as the outside of a train carriage during heavy rain. I gained an understanding that I was the viewer on the outside looking in. However, as I tried to focus beyond the rain droplets, I had trouble making out the figure through the glass. Rhys's paintings depict this hazy, muddy effect of not being able to identify things confidently beyond the rain, proving how certain details of his memories or experiences become less clear as time passes. This results in losing specific details from the past.
cold metal/hard noise THIS IS WHAT A HEART LOOKS LIKE The outline
The frame
Colours inside shapes that make a body
The use of shading
construction:
face the painting / now fall over
spin
@ 52 degrees
Arch makes you realise your legs
How we stand
scratching, drawing, this and that on top of the other
See behind the work > check the spine, see what I’m made of .
metal, tape, thin paper, chalk, oil and wood
stuff
heaps of different stuff together
now something else (something holy)
the tooth
This is what a heart looks like
-
religion and improsonment
building blocks of person hood
Tough frames to fit
Gab w/ Arch
George Tjungurrayi is a Pintupi manHe was born in the Gibson Desert. It's huge, vast desert flats, rolling sand hills. It's also his emotional anchor, Wilkinkarra has always powered George's identity and his art. Even when George Tjungurrayi left the Gibson Desert in his late teens.
George Tjungurrayi developed his own recognisable style at PTA. It was abstract. A minimal colour palette, refined lines. There was undulation across the surface of his works. Strong simplified linear fields. He was a big new voice.
Utopia Art Sydney staged his first solo exhibition in 1997. There's been six more around the Australia since, with international applause !
Because each show the painting steps up levels of intensity. There's a unique, subtle development. Take PULSE, George Tjungurrayi's current show. His works vibrate, almost throb with the intense heat and patterns of his Country. You feel the energy looking at them.
George is very senior now.
Approaching 80, he lives in Kintore. Pintupi Country, He makes work that shows us what only a Master can, his vision, the beating heart of Country.
National Portrait Gallery. Picture by Greg Weight
what’s this hanging in my living room?Now closed, Anna Mould’s show at Dominik Mersch Gallery was engaging.
The texture of the works stood out immediately, painted on cotton, they possess a textural quality reminiscent of stained textiles rather than traditional paint on a surface. The soft color palette and loosely painted squares squares exude a calmness. One could imagine a piece hanging in a living room, bringing a muted playfulness to a space.
However, delving deeper into the basis of the works, a shift in sentiment occurs. The soft pixel paintings begin as images sourced from documentaries and news media reporting conflicts. This juxtaposition elicits an unease—the works, despite their minimalist appeal and softness of texture and colour, carry an underlying disquiet when viewed in the context of their origin. Now, the thought of them hanging in a living room, unbeknownst to the casual viewer of their unsettling history, adds layer of discomfort.
Andrew Sullivan
Back to Zero
15 May till 8 June
@stanley_street_gallery
ColoursColours. Reflecting the rich tapestries of our social fabric.