Exhibition - Rod Gray
Hi Steve
A month has gone by and I haven’t been on your blog so I’d best rectify that.
Here are a few responses to some questions you asked about the show…
What was the inspiration for the show?
A year ago I went to Mt Stromlo in Canberra working for Museum Victoria on a project collecting the sections of the fire destroyed 50″ telescope that constituted the original Great Melbourne Telescope. Absorbing this epic space for several days as we worked to separate and crane apart the large rusted and burnt sections was truly impressive and revelatory. I had to respond, it was almost like this experience was gifted to me or willed by me as an impetus to leave full time work and restart the adventure of making art consistently again.
Suffice to say it was only a matter of when and where to exhibit once the artwork started flowing. So the works mark the anniversary of that trip, it also feels fitting that it is the end of the International Year of Astronomy, it is relevant to end it in an imaginative and visionary way that looks both forward and in a way back at the momentous and troubled history of humanities ambitious projects.
How did the theme come about?
I can’t shake the feeling also that as we move into the Copenhagen talks we have come to an unprecedented crossroads in human history. It is a make or break opportunity to turn the tide and show our strong visionary and reflective capacities. The art work and the theme is moved by this also. That is the optimistic aspect of the work.
I’ve been calling it a kind of Vanitas exhibit for the new millenium, with sombre reminders of mortality and the futility of grand plans, but I just noticed the Ricky Swallow press talks about his still life/vanitas preoccupations, I guess I am dealing with the landscape aspects of vanitas.
It’s been a hell of a year for mortality.
Why this venue?
Space 39 is a superb space and has a great ‘white box’ clean feel that gives the art work a lot of focus. It has views of the back yard of the Melbourne club too, they’ve got the biggest trees in the cbd!
Publicity for the show, what has been done and did you get any P.R.
I got a heap of invites out so I am preparing plenty of ‘provisions’ for the opening… I will send you a shot from the opening if I get a chance.
Cheers
Rod Gray
Rod Gray - Tracking Station
New Paintings 2009
at Space 39
Level 2/39 Little Collins st
Exhibition dates November 4 -21
Hours Wed-Sat 11 – 5pm
Preview from 11 - 5:30 on Wednesday the 4th November
Opening night Wednesday November 4th 6-8pm
Contact:
Dan Mathews 0400 817 933
Rod Gray 0439 614 674
November 2, 2009 | Filed Under Around the Galleries
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[...] Read more about Rod’s motivation (and see some of his paintings) here. [...]