PREVIOUS EXHIBITIONS - 2013
BLENDER CHRISTMAS EXHIBITION 2013
OPENING NIGHT: FRIDAY 13 DEC 6-LATE
ARTISTS INCLUDE: ADI (ADRIAN BRIERLEY), JAMES BONNICI, ADRIAN DOYLE, MICHAEL FIKARIS, DREW FUNK, HEESCO, GEORGE MANIOUDAKIS, TIM STERLING, NICK IVES, SEBASTIAN FRANZ, JO HARRISON, CAM SCALE AND PAUL ROUND.
THE BLENDER STUDIOS CHRISTMAS EXHIBITION IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE THE ART AND PARTY WITH THE ARTISTS OF BLENDER STUDIOS. THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION OF THE ARTISTS IS EVIDENT IN THIS ANNUAL EVENT WITH 13 ARTISTS SHOWCASING THEIR WORK.
THE EXHIBITION WILL BE HOSTED BY DARK HORSE EXPERIMENT AND THE STUDIOS WILL HOLD A SERIES OF PERFORMERS AND INSTALLATIONS. THE OPENING NIGHT IS SURE TO BE A STUNNING EXAMPLE OF CURRENT PRACTICE IN MELBOURNE RIGHT NOW. THE OPENING NIGHT WILL INCLUDE DJS, CUTTING EDGE PERFORMANCE ARTISTS, TRADTIONAL WORKS ON CANVAS, LIVE GRAFFITI EVENTS, STRANGE OBJECTS AND DISLOCATED RENDERINGS OF SUBURBIA.
AFTER TEN YEARS THE BLENDER STUDIOS STILL HOLD TRUE TO THE VALUES OF RESEARCH, ENERGY, INDEPENDANCE AND THE SOLIDARITY.
WITH STRONG LINKS TO MELBOURNE STREET ART AND SOME OF THE MOST RECOGNISED AND PROLIFIC ARTISTS CALLING THE BLENDER HOME, THE OPENING EXHIBITION WILL ATTRACT A WIDE AUDIENCE.
THE BLENDER STUDIOS CHRISTMAS EXHIBITION, ACCOMPANIED WITH A PARTY, WILL OPEN AT DARK HORSE EXPERIMENT ON FRIDAY 13TH DEC, 2013 FROM 6 TILL LATE.
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LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE EVERYONE AT THE EXHIBITION.
JAMES BONNICI:
IN-BETWEEN SPACE
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OPENING NIGHT: FRIDAY 13TH SETP 6-9PM
EXHIBITION DATES: 14 SEPT TO 12 OCT
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DARK HORSE EXPERIMENT WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO THE OPENING OF JAMES BONNICI'S SOLO EXHIBITION, IN-BETWEEN SPACE. PLEASE JOIN USON FRIDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER, STARTING AT 6:00PM.
"THROUGH PORTRAITURE AND LANDSCAPE, MY WORK EXPLORES HOW DISTORTION, BLURRINESS, LIGHT AND SPACE MAY BE USED TO DEPICT PSYCHOLOGICAL STATES, PERCEPTIONS AND HOW WE EXPERIENCE OUR PHYSICAL REALITY. PAINTING AND DRAWING FROM PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN WITH MY PHONE CAMERA ALLOWS ME TO INTERPRET MY IMMEDIATE SURROUNDINGS AND SUBJECTS THAT ARE CLOSE TO ME.
THE PORTRAITS OF HEADS IN MOTION CAPTURE A NUMBER OF MOMENTS NOT ORDINARILY PERCEPTIBLE. THEY GIVE US A GLIMPSE OF THE IN-BETWEEN AND WHAT LIES BENEATH THE SURFACE. DISTORTION IS CREATED THROUGH THE REPRESENTATION OF SUBJECTS IN MOTION, HINTING AT THE SUBJECTS’ PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE. PAINTING THE MOTION BLUR MATERIALISES THE DISTORTION CREATED BY THE CAMERA, TRANSFORMING THE MOVEMENT INTO FLESHY, SCULPTURAL VESSELS OF CONTORTION, WHILE THE DARKER TONES OF THE DRAWINGS SEEK TO HEIGHTEN THE UNDERLYING ANGUISH. THESE APPROACHES DRAW ON THE DISTURBING, GROTESQUE ELEMENTS OF THE INITIAL SUBJECT IN ORDER TO ACCENTUATE THE OBSCURE WITHIN THE PSYCHE.
CONTRASTING WITH THE MOVING HEADS ARE THE REPRESENTATIONS OF STATIC ENVIRONMENTS THAT WE OCCUPY AND MOVE THROUGH EVERYDAY: BACKYARDS WITH HIGH FENCES, BLEAK BUILDINGS AND FLUORESCENT INTERIORS. BY USING AWKWARD ANGLES AND RENDERING THESE ENVIRONMENTS WITH A MINIMAL PALETTE (AS IF THROUGH A FILTER), THERE IS THE ATTEMPT TO HEIGHTEN THE UNSETTLING AND CLAUSTROPHOBIC ATMOSPHERE OF THESE SPACES. WHILE THESE CONFINED SPACES MAY BE PERCEIVED AS OPPRESSIVE, THE FINAL IMAGERY OF EACH PIECE AIMS TO DISPLAY A HIDDEN BEAUTY WITHIN: ONE THAT SHOWS STILLNESS, SILENCE AND A CONTEMPLATIVE NATURE."
JAMES BONNICI, 2013.
BACKYARD FENCE, OIL ON LINEN, 41CM X 41CM
PAULY AGAINST WHITE BACKGROUND, OIL ON LINEN, 31CM X 31CM.
PARAMETRIC SPACE
KIT WEBSTER
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ART NITE EVENT 24TH JULY 2013
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OPENING NIGHT: FRIDAY 2ND AUGUST
PARAMETRIC SPACE "PURSUING MY INTEREST IN THE RELATIONSHIP OF SPATIAL COMPLEXITIES, THE AIM OF ‘PARAMETRIC SPACE’ IS TO DEVELOP A SHAPE THAT IS NON-LINEAR AND APPARENTLY STRUCTURALLY UNSOUND IN ITS APPEARANCE. PROTRUDING INTO THE SURROUNDING SPACE, THE WORK AIMS TO REDEFINE ITS ENVIRONMENT AND CREATE A SENSE OF SPATIAL UNEASE.
THROUGH CAD DESIGN, THE PIECE IS SHAPED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT CAN BE COMPLETELY ILLUMINATED WITH TWO PROJECTORS. PROJECTION ‘MAPPING' THEN ALLOWS DIFFERENT VIDEO ELEMENTS TO BE ISOLATED TO SPECIFIC SURFACES. ALTERNATING VIDEO TEXTURES CAN BE APPLIED TO EACH FACE AND ARTIFICIAL SHADOWING DERIVED FROM THE CAD MODEL CAN BE PROJECTED BACK ONTO ITS PHYSICAL COUNTERPART, RAISING THE IDEA OF THE EXISTENCE OF A 2.5D ‘INTERDIMENSION’.
THE SCULPTURE ALSO SEEMS TO EXIST IN A WAY THAT DOES NOT CLEARLY POSITION IT WITHIN ITS SPACE. WITH SHARDS THAT PIERCE ITS SURROUNDINGS, THE PIECE SEEMS TO BE FIXED YET BROKEN, CONVEYING A SENSE OF CONTROLLED CHAOS.
THE WORK EXPRESSES MY INTEREST IN THE DEEP ABSTRACTION OF FORM THROUGH THE COMBINATION OF 2D, 3D AND DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS, AND HOW THESE REALITIES RELATE TO CONSCIOUSNESS.IT ALSO EXPLORES FORMS OF INTERPLAY BETWEEN THE PHYSICAL, DIGITAL AND MENTAL ASPECTS OF WHAT WE DO.
I HOPE THE VIEWER CAN APPRECIATE THE AESTHETICS OF THE WORK WHILE ALSO CONSIDERING ITS MEANING, NOT ONLY IN THE CONTEXT OF A GALLERY SPACE BUT ALSO IN RELATION TO THEIR OWN REALM OF CONSCIOUSNESS." - KIT WEBSTER.
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RANGING FROM SITE-SPECIFIC PROJECTIONS TO SYNESTHETIC SCULPTURES, KIT'S WORK UTILISES MULTIPLE PROGRAMMING AND VISUALISATION TECHNIQUES TO CREATE EXPERIMENTAL CONCEPTS DESIGNED TO EXPOSE THE POTENTIAL FOR A NEW AUDIOVISUAL AESTHETIC.
MELBOURNE PROJECTION WINDOW KIT WEBSTER WILL ALSO BE PRESENTING HIS WORK ON THE MELBOURNE PROJECTION SPACE THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THE EXHIBITION.
NOW13
NEW MEDIA ART
14.06.13 - 13.07.13
OPENING FRIDAY 14TH JUNE 2012
"A FEW OF THE CREW IN THE NEVADA DESERT AS PART OF PROSPECTIVES INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL ART FESTIVAL 2012
IMG CREDIT JOSHUA KEELING.
NOW 13 BRINGS TOGETHER A DIVERSE GROUP OF RESEARCH ARTISTS FROM AUSTRALIA, UNITED STATES AND ASIA ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF NEW MEDIA ART, GAME ART, ANIMATION AND EXPERIMENTAL DIGITAL MEDIA
FROM THE CONTROVERSIAL TO THE IRREVERENT, THESE ARTISTS WORK TO DECONSTRUCTTHE DIGITAL INTERFACE THROUGH NETWORKING, INTERACTIVITY AND MEDIUM AS THEY CHALLENGE AND QUESTION THE GLOBAL REALITY OF LIVING IN A DIGITAL AGE IN SERIES OF WORKS NEVER SEEN BEFORE IN AUSTRALIA.
THE ARTISTS FORM A LOOSE COLLECTIVE, HAVING MET AND SHARED COMMON RESEARCH OBJECTIVES IN
DIGITAL ART FESTIVALS, STUDIO SPACES AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS, RECONNECTING FOR NOW13 ACROSS
VIRTUAL AND PHYSICAL DIVIDES.
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ANNE BARTGES (MICHIGAN) WEBSITE
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BENJAMIN POYNTER (NEVADA) WEBSITE
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BRENT RICHARDSON (OKLAHOMA) WEBSITE
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GEORGIE ROXBY SMITH (AUSTRALIA) WEBSITE
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KIAN PENG ONG (SINGAPORE) WEBSITE
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JOSEPH DELAPPE (AUSTRALIA) WEBSITE
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LIAT BERDUGO (RHODE ISLAND) WEBSITE
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RAPHAEL ARAR (LOS ANGELES) WEBSITE
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SIMON FINN (AUSTRALIA) WEBSITE
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SOPHIE KAHN (NEW YORK) WEBSITE
CURATOR - GEORGIE ROXBY SMITH
METAMORPHORSIS
REGAN TAMANUI (AKA HA-HA)
OPENING: 10TH MAY 2013 6-9PM
EXHIBITION DATE: 10 MAY - 1 JUNE
METAMORPHOSIS IS AN EXPLORATION INTO THE ARCHETYPES OF THE HUMAN PSYCHE. AS HUMANS, WE CREATE THE ARCHETYPES THAT EXIST AMONGST US AS INDIVIDUALS, AND AS A PART OF A COUPLE, A FAMILY, A TRIBE OR A NATION.
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HERE HA-HA INVESTIGATES THESE ARCHETYPES BY MEANS OF STENCIL: FUSING PORTRAITS OF PEOPLE TOGETHER TO FIND A LINK OR CONNECTION BETWEEN COUPLES, OR BY FUSING MAN WITH MACHINE AND BEAST.
THE VIEWER IS PRESENTED AND FACED WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ARCHETYPES WITHIN RELATIONSHIPS, TRANSHUMANISM & THE BEAST MAN.
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HA-HA
HA-HA (REGAN TAMANUI) IS ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S MOST NOTORIOUS AND PROLIFIC STENCIL ARTISTS. HE CALLED THE BLENDER STUDIOS HOME FOR MANY YEARS BEFORE EXTENDING HIS ART PRACTICE WITH AN EXTENDED, OVERSEAS TRIP. NOW HE IS BACK, AND IS HAVING HIS FIRST SOLO SHOW SINCE RETURNING TO MELBOURNE AT BLENDER STUDIOS' GALLERY DARK HORSE EXPERIMENT.
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PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE OPENING OF THIS EXCITING SHOW.
CAKE INDUSTRIES
JESSE STEVENS AND
DEAN PETERSEN
"FUTURE RELIC"
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OPENING:12TH APRIL 2013 6-9PM
EXHIBITION: 12 APRIL - 4 MAY 13
FUTURE RELIC. THE FUTURE ISN'T SHINY AND VIRTUAL. THE FUTURE IS INDUSTRIAL, MECHANICAL AND BROKEN. FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES ARE BUILT OUT OF RECYCLED PARTS FROM OTHER OUTMODED MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT. DECAY IN THESE OBJECTS IS A PART OF THE DAILY EXPERIENCE. FUTURE RELIC IS A COLLECTION OF SOME OF THESE OBJECTS AND THESE ARE THEIR STORIES. JOIN US ON APRIL 12TH AT 6:00PM TO DISCOVER MICROELECTRONIC WORLD OF CAKE INDUSTRIES. CAKE INDUSTRIES. ARTISTS AND TECHNOLOGISTS JESSE STEVENS AND DEAN PETERSEN HAVE WORKED UNDER THE COLLABORATIVE BANNER OF CAKE INDUSTRIES SINCE 2006. THEIR PRACTICE CONCENTRATES ON ELECTROMECHANICAL SENSING AND ROBOTICS TO INVESTIGATE IDEAS OF STORY AND FUTURE TECHNOLOGY. THEY PRIMARILY EMPLOY MICROELECTRONICS AND NETWORK CONNECTED SENSING SYSTEMS TO CREATE THEIR WORK, WHICH CENTRES ON AUTONOMOUS, SELF REGULATING OBJECTS, EXPLORATION OF SPACES FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, AND ANTHROPOMORPHISM.
WILL COLES
"I FUCKING LOVE MELBOURNE"
OPENING:8TH MARCH 2013 6-9PM
EXHIBITION: 8 MARCH - 29 MARCH 13
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WILL COLES MAY BEST BE KNOWN FOR HIS UNCOMMISSIONED PUBLIC INSTALLATIONS. FOR YEARS HE’S BEEN GLUING DOWN CONCRETE MOBILE PHONES, TEDDY BEARS, FOOTBALLS, SQUASHED DRINK CANS, SKULLS, AND REMOTE CONTROLS, AS WELL AS THE MORE CONSPICUOUS CONCRETE TVS, WASHING MACHINES & SUITCASES. USUALLY THEY BEAR A MESSAGE, SOMETIMES JUST A WORD, BUT THEY ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO PLANT A SEED OF THOUGHT.
HIS WORK CAN BE FOUND ON STREETS ALL OVER THE WORLD: MANY THROUGHOUT THE STREETS AND LANE-WAYS OF MELBOURNE. FOR THOSE ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH HIS SMALL CONCRETE ‘STREET WORKS' DOTTED AROUND TOWN, NOW IS A CHANCE TO SEE HIS LARGER GALLERY SCULPTURES. IN HIS FIRST-EVER APPEARANCE IN A MELBOURNE GALLERY, DARK HORSE EXPERIMENT PRESENTS THEIR OPENING SHOW FOR THE NEW YEAR. WE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO WILL COLES’ EXHIBITION: I FUCKING LOVE MELBOURNE.
COLES’ WORK DISPLAYS THE REMNANTS OF OUR THROWAWAY SOCIETY WITH HIS RENDERING OF CONSUMERIST ICONOGRAPHY INTO THOUGHT PROVOKING SCULPTURES. RELIGIOUS ICONS, POP CULTURE REFERENCES AND DEATH SYMBOLISM MERGE WITH THE PLASTICITY OF TODAY’S TOYS AND MOD-CONS IN A SOMEWHAT VULGAR, YET UNAPOLOGETIC SHOW OF DEFIANCE.
HIS ARTWORK IS A THOROUGHLY CLEAR CRITIQUE OF AUSTRALIAN CULTURE. THE MORE WE CONSUME THE LESS INDIVIDUAL WE ARE. A FAMOUS CULTURE JAMER, COLES SKILFULLY REPRESENTS A CULTURE OBSESSED WITH INDIVIDUALITY, YET COMPLETELY TAKEN IN BY THE ADVERTISEMENT THAT SELLS THEM THAT SAME MYTH.
