PREVIOUS EXHIBITIONS - 2018
BLENDER XMAS SHOW
- DEC 2018
THE ANNUAL DECEMBER SOIREE AT BLENDER STUDIOS IS UPON US AGAIN. COME AND SEE WHAT OUR ARTISTS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS YEAR AS YOU ROAM THROUGH OUR LABYRINTH OF STUDIO SPACES!
FRIDAY 7TH DECEMBER 6PM-10PM
THERE WILL BE A CURATED GROUP SHOW FEATURING WORKS FROM OUR 29 RESIDENT ARTISTS, SPRAWLED ACROSS THE TWO GALLERY SPACES DARK HORSE EXPERIMENT AND BLENDER POP UP SPACE.
THE STUDIOS WILL ALSO BE FULLY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND WE WILL HAVE DJ'S KEEPING FRESH VIBES ON THE DECKS. EVERY STUDIO SPACE HAS BEEN SET UP AS A MINI GALLERY IN ITS OWN RIGHT!
- ALL OUR WELCOME TO OUR FINAL END OF YEAR CELEBRATION -
COLD BEERS ON THE BAR COURTESY OF GAGE ROADS BREWING CO!
EXHIBITION DATES: 8TH-22ND DEC 2018
GALLERY HOURS: WEDS-SAT 12PM-5PM
CLASSICAL HEROES, CONTEMPORARY HUNTERS
A SOLO EXHIBITION BY ASHLEY BIRD
OPENING NIGHT | FRIDAY 2ND NOVEMBER 6PM-9PM
EXHIBITION RUNS 3RD NOVEMBER - 24TH NOVEMBER
GALLERY HOURS 12PM-5PM WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY
‘ASHLEY BIRD EXAMINES THE TRIGGERS OF NOSTALGIA THROUGH THE USE OF THE EVERYDAY. IMPOSSIBLE VERSIONS OF THE TRUTH ARE REPLICATED THROUGH REPETITION. RECOGNISABLE REFERENCES TO POPULAR CULTURE, LIKE STAR WARS MEANS THAT ASHLEY’S WORK CREATES A STATEMENT ABOUT HIS GENERATIONMASS PRODUCTION, REPETITION, AND THE DISPOSABLE. BUT MORE INTERESTING FOR ME IS THE INSIGHT YOU GET FROM THE ART ABOUT THE ARTIST. THE WORK IS PERSONAL CONSIDERED AND BEAUTIFUL.’ – ADRIAN DOYLE
CLASSICAL HEROES, CONTEMPORARY HUNTERS - ARTIST STATEMENT
THE CORE CONCEPT THAT INFLUENCES MY CREATIVE PRACTICE ARE THE MEMORY SPACES THAT ARE SPECIFIC TIMES IN THE PAST THAT THROUGH THE EDITED FILTER OF NOSTALGIA REMAIN A LOCATION OF YEARNING WITHIN PERSONAL HISTORY. THE OBJECTS AND IMAGES THAT MAKE UP THIS SHOW CONTINUE TO USE TOYS AND OBJECTS OF PLAY WITH A GENERATIONAL AGENCY AND LINK TO ME AND MY CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE AS A KID IN SUBURBAN MELBOURNE. THIS WORK IN PARTICULAR ATTEMPTS TO UNPACK IDEAS AROUND MODERN AND HISTORIC NOTIONS OF MASCULINITY AND THE TROPES OF DESIGN AND COLOUR THAT PUSH WHAT I ARGUE IS AN OUT OF DATE AND ANTIQUATED CONCEPT OF GENDER, AND WHAT CONTEMPORARY MARKETING USE TO SELL ‘TOYS OF BOYS’ AND ‘TOYS FOR GIRLS’ THAT REINFORCE OLD FASHIONED GENDER ROLES. MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE WERE ONE OF THE FIRST TOY BRANDS THAT WERE CREATED WITH OVER THE TOP MASCULINE BODY AESTHETICS THAT TRADED ON THE BRUTISH WARRIOR AND HUNTER IMMORTALIZED IN THE WORK OF FRANK FRAZETTA AND FILMS LIKE CONAN THE BARBARIAN. AS A COUNTER POINT I HAVE EMPLOYED THE BUSTS OF CLASSICAL COMPOSERS AND THE ROMANCE ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR MUSIC AS A SOFTER HISTORIC VERSION OF MASCULINITY. TOGETHER WITH MODERN DEVICES OF COLLECTION, HUNTING TROPHIES AND VERSIONS OF CLASSICAL FIGURATIVE SCULPTURE MASHED UP WITH CONTEMPORARY TOYS, THIS WORK AIMS TO FIND A BALANCE BETWEEN THE PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES AND ENFORCED ROLES OF MODERN MEN WITH AN EVER-PRESENT GENTLENESS AND DARE I SAY UN-MASCULINE WAY OF ENGAGING IN THE MODERN WORLD.
ARTIST BIO
ASHLEY D BIRD IS AN INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTIST, LECTURE WITH THE UTAS SCHOOL OF CREATIVE ARTS AND A CURATOR AT THE QUEEN VICTORIA ART GALLERY IN TASMANIA.
THE FOCUS OF HIS PRACTICE AND PHD RESEARCH CENTRES AROUND NOSTALGIC MEMORY AND OBJECT OF PLAY. CONNECTIONS TO TOYS SPECIFICALLY THAT HOLD WITHIN THEM EMOTIONAL CONNECTIONS TO THE MOMENTS IN THE PAST. YEARNING THAT THEN MANIFESTS A DESIRE TO COLLECT AND ENSHRINE THESE RELICS TO KEEP MOST MOMENTS IN THEIR MEMORIES FROM BEING LOST
"TRAUMA/PRE-TRAUMA"
A SOLO SHOW
BY SIMON CROSBIE
OPENING NIGHT, FRIDAY 5TH OCTOBER 6-9PM
EXHIBITIONS RUNS SAT 6TH OCT - SAT 27TH OCT
GALLERY HOURS WEDS-SAT, 12PM-5PM
PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE OPENING NIGHT OF SIMON CROSBIE'S SOLO EXHIBITION 'TRAUMA/PRE-TRAUMA'.
"I SEE CLOTHING AS A METAPHOR FOR HUMAN ACTIONS AND WOOL AS A TACTILE AND FAMILIAR MEDIUM THAT EVOKES MEMORY. THIS IS A BIOGRAPHICAL PIECE BASED ON EXPERIENCES AT A CATHOLIC BOARDING SCHOOL AND THE CONSEQUENCES THAT FOLLOW. ABUSE OFTEN EXISTS BEHIND THE PRETENSE OF NURTURE. THE EXAGGERATED LENGTH OF THE SLEEVES POINT TO GROWTH IMPEDED BY THE PAST, AND TO THE PRESENT WHERE THE EFFECTS OF TRAUMA CAN NEVER BE FULLY EXORCISED. THE RAINCOATS POINT TO THE PRESENCE OF THE PERPETRATOR AS PROTECTOR. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO PLAY WITH NOTIONS OF THE UNHEIMLICH, AS WELL AS REFLECTING ON CATHOLICISM AS AN INSTITUTION THAT IS REPLETE WITH IMAGES THAT AESTHETICIZE PAIN AND SUFFERING." - SIMON CROSBIE
SUNFIGO 'STENCILS'
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OPENING FRIDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER, 6-9PM
EXHIBITION RUNS 7TH-29TH SEPTEMBER
BLENDER STUDIOS AND DARK HORSE EXPERIMENT PRESENTS 'STENCILS' - THE FIRST EVER GALLERY EXHIBITION BY THE ELUSIVE MELBOURNE-BASED STREET ARTIST SUNFIGO.
KNOWN FOR THEIR LARGE-SCALE FENCE ART INSTALLATIONS, STENCIL PIECES, AND PUBLIC ART EXHIBITIONS UTILISING THE STREETS AS THEIR GALLERY, THE NAME SUNFIGO HAS BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF STREET ART, OFTEN EXPLORING UNCONVENTIONAL MATERIALS AND METHODS TO COMMUNICATE IDEAS ABOUT THE HUMAN CONDITION.
OPENING FRIDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER, THE EXHIBITION WILL FEATURE NEW STENCIL WORKS BY SUNFIGO, WITH ALL PROCEEDS FROM ARTWORK SALES BEING DONATED TO YOUTH PROJECTS – A MELBOURNE BASED, INDEPENDENT CHARITY PROVIDING HIGH IMPACT SUPPORT AND PATHWAYS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE EXPERIENCING DISADVANTAGE.
TO REQUEST A CATALOGUE PLEASE EMAIL INFO@DARKHORSEEXPERIMENT.COM
‘YOU ARE ALL THE SAME'
ARTIST:ADRIAN DOYLE
OPENING NIGHT: FRIDAY, 6 JULY 2018
EXHIBITION: 6 JUL - 4 AUG 2018
DARK HORSE EXPERIMENTS PRESENTS ‘YOU ARE ALL THE SAME!’, A SOLO EXHIBITION FROM ADRIAN DOYLE, A PHD CANDIDATE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA. IN THIS EXHIBITION DOYLE COMBINES URBAN ART TECHNIQUES AND PLACE IT IN A FINE ART CONTEXT. THE COMPOSITION AND SIZE HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY CHOSEN TO REFERENCE THE SCALE OF STREET ART, BECOMING CROWDED AND OVER LOADED WITH BLUNT IMAGERY AND NARRATIVE. THIS BRUTALIZATION OR SENSATIONALISM, IS AN AESTHETIC HE HAS CREATED THAT ALIGNS ITSELF WITH THE STREET ART MOVEMENT. THE APPLICATION OF MEDIUM IS CRITICAL IN THE SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN ART, THAT COULD ALSO BE CONSIDERED FINE ART. IN DOYLE’S STUDIO PRACTICE, USING THE MEDIUMS IN THE RIGHT ORDER AND WITH THE APPROPRIATE TECHNIQUE IS CRUCIAL. TO TRY AND ACHIEVE THIS LOOK, HE HAS UTILISED A MIXTURE OF SPRAY PAINT, PASTELS, ACRYLIC, HOUSE PAINT, OIL PAINT AND INK.
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THE SUBJECTS IN HIS ARTWORKS BORROW HEAVILY FROM THE URBAN ART MOVEMENT DEVELOPED AROUND THE 1990S, WHICH CAME ONTO THE STREET IN THE EARLY 2000S. CULTURE JAMMING, POLITICAL SATIRE, ADVERTISING AND POPULAR CULTURE WERE THE MAIN THEMES OF EARLY STREET ART, REFLECTING HIS GENERATION AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES. THESE IMAGES ARE RECREATED AND RE-EXAMINED INTO PERSONAL NARRATIVES THAT ARE A REFLECTION ON MY EXPERIENCES, BUT IN THE END OUR EXPERIENCES ARE ALL SIMILARLY ALIGNED. ‘YOU ARE ALL THE SAME..!’ IS USED AS A PERSONAL CRITIQUE OF THE
BRIEF ARTIST BIO:
DOYLE HAS AN EXTENSIVE EDUCATION IN CONTEMPORARY ART, COMPLETING HIS BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS WITH HONOURS IN 2000, FOLLOWED BY A MASTERS OF FINE ART THROUGH RESEARCH AT THE VICTORIAN COLLEGE OF THE ARTS IN 2001. IN 1999 HE WAS AWARDED THE BRETT WHITELY TRAVELLING ART SCHOLARSHIP AND IN 2000 HIS WORK WAS COLLECTED BY THE ART BANK OF AUSTRALIA. SINCE THEN DOYLE HAS SINCE COMPLETED RESIDENCIES IN FRANCE, THAILAND, SHANGHAI AND PAKISTAN. HIS WORK HAS BEEN EXHIBITED IN GROUP AND SOLO EXHIBITIONS ACROSS MELBOURNE, PERTH, WASHINGTON, NEW YORK AND THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA. IN 2001 HE SET UP THE ‘BLENDER STUDIOS’ AND LATER FORMED THE MELBOURNE STREET ART TOURS, GUIDING PEOPLE THROUGH WHAT CAN BE DESCRIBED AS THE LARGEST OUTDOOR URBAN ART GALLERY IN THE LANEWAYS OF MELBOURNE.
DRINKS AT THE OPENING NIGHT WILL BE SPONSORED BY
‘MEMORY OF MY HOME'
ARTIST: AVAN ANWAR
OPENING NIGHT: FRIDAY, 8 JUNE
EXHIBITION 8-23 JUNE
GALLERY HOURS: WEDNESDAY- SATURDAY, 12 - 5PM
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DARK HORSE EXPERIMENT PRESENTS 'MEMORY OF MY HOME', A SOLO EXHIBITION BY AVAN ANWA.
ARTIST STATEMENT
IN MY WORK MEMORY OF MY HOME EVERYTHING HAS TRANSFORMED INTO ASH, SHOWING THE DESTRUCTION OF INDIVIDUAL’S IDENTITY CONSTRUCTED BY A SPECIFIC ETHNIC AND CULTURAL SETTING. THIS IDENTITY IS IN JEOPARDY DUE TO ETHNIC TENSION AND CONFLICT AT MY HOMELAND (KURDISTAN). THE GREY COLOUR OF THE ASH SYMBOLISES MELANCHOLY AND SORROW AFTER THE DESTRUCTION OF SUCH IDENTITIES BY ANTAGONISTIC FORCES AND COMMIT GENOCIDE. MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH WAR AND DISPLACEMENT IS REFLECTED IN THIS WORK AND THE EVENTS ARE STILL FRESH IN MY MEMORY. THEY HAVE BECOME VIVID IMAGES SURFACED SYMBOLICALLY AND METAPHORICALLY IN MY WORK. THE IMAGES HAVE MANIFESTED IN TWO PHYSICAL ELEMENTS: FABRIC AND ASH. THE PIECES OF FABRIC SIGNIFY CULTURE, WHICH ARE HUNG AND EACH PIECE BY ITSELF CHARACTERISES INDIVIDUALITY. I INTEND TO SHOW HOW EVERYTHING HAS ELEMENTS OF PERMANENCE AND TEMPORALITY. THE PERMANENT ELEMENT REPRESENTS UNIVERSALITY OF FORMS, WHILE TEMPORALITY REPRESENTS CHANGE AND DECAYING INFLICT ALL INDIVIDUAL INSTANCES IN THE WORLD OF MATERIAL EXISTENCE. CHANGE OR RATHER PERISHING OF INDIVIDUAL INSTANCES IS SEEN AS NEGATIVE AND DESTRUCTIVE.
‘ELEMENTS OF BREATH’
OPENING , FRIDAY, 25 MAY
EXHIBITION DATES: 23 MAY - 2 JUNE ‘18
ARTISTS:
THOSAPORN SUTHUM
PHURAPHOL SOTAIYIN
NATTHIWUT PHUANGPHI
NATSUREE TACHAVIRIYATAWEESIN
CHAYANIN KWANGKAEW
PRAIYA KETKOOL
PIMPISA TINPALIT
BUNDIT PUANGTHONG
CURATED BY PIMPISA TINPALIT
IMAGE DETAIL: CHAYANIN KWANGKAEW
‘WHAT IS IT?’ 2017, OIL ON LINEN, 160 X 180 CM
ELEMENTS OF BREATH'
OPENING: FRIDAY, 25 MAY FROM 6 -9PM.
PERFORMANCE ART AND SPEECHES AT 7:30PM
THIS EXHIBITION IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FROM WEDNESDAY, 23RD MAY - 2ND JUNE
ELEMENTS ARE AN ESSENTIAL PART IN THE CREATION OF EVERYTHING IN THE UNIVERSE. EVERYTHING THAT APPEARS ALL FROM INTERACTION WITH ONE ANOTHER. IN TERMS OF ART, VISUAL ELEMENTS ARE IMPORTANT PART OF CREATIVITY. IT IS A TOOL AND MEDIATOR IN CONVEYING IDEAS AND SENSIBILITY FROM ARTISTS' EXPERIENCES. ALL THE SENCES THAT LEAD TO CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN ARTISTS AND AUDIENCES THROUGH ART PIECES. 'ELEMENTS OF BREATH' THEREFORE MEANS LIFE OF THE ARTISTS, THEIR ART PIECE AND ALL THE THINGS THAT CREATE THIS EXHIBITION. THE EXHIBITION CONSIST OF EIGHT THAI ARTISTS WHICH HAVE DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE AND STYLE OF ARTS. THEIR COMMON PURPOSE IS TO COMMUNICATE AND PRESENT THEIR INTERPRETATION OF SOCIAL EVENTS, CULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT THROUGH STORY THAT APPEAR ON THEIR ART PIECE.
'THE BOUNDARY OF VOID’
ARTIST: NAKARIN JAIKLA
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AT RISK
FEATURING WORKS BY JULIA BOROS, MARK HOFFMAN AND AARON MARTIN
CURATED BY AARON MARTIN
OPENING 9TH MARCH 6PM - 9PM
EXHIBITION RUNS 9TH - 29TH MARCH
THIS EXHIBITION BRINGS TOGETHER THREE ARTISTS WHOSE INDIVIDUAL PRACTICES DRAW ON IDEAS OF IMPLIED TENSION OR STRUCTURAL INSTABILITY THROUGH SCULPTURAL INSTALLATION.
THE ARTISTS IN THIS SHOW EMPLOY DISTINCT AND IDIOSYNCRATIC TECHNIQUES TO CONSTRUCT THEIR WORKS. METHODS OF STACKING, INFLATING, STRETCHING AND EXTENDING AND AN ENGAGEMENT WITH ENGINEERING PRINCIPALS AND ARCHITECTURAL TECTONICS ARE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED AND PLAYFULLY APPLIED.
THE USE OF MAGNETICS, FRICTION OR INFLATION TO SUSPEND OR SUSTAIN THE VERTICAL/HORIZONTAL POSTURE SUGGESTS AN INHERENT TEMPORALITY TO EACH WORK. AND FURTHER IMPLIES THAT ANY DISRUPTION TO THIS FINELY-POISED EQUILIBRIUM, BE IT AN INTERVENTION INTO THE MAKE-UP OF STRUCTURE OR ITS ENVIRONMENT, MAY, IN TURN, INITIATE A COLLAPSE OR COMPLETE DEMISE OF THE WORK.
AT RISK TAKES ON A LITERAL MEANING OF IMPLIED COLLAPSE, BUT IT ALSO SUGGESTS AN AMBITIOUS STUDIO PRACTICE; WHERE UNORTHODOX MATERIALS ARE GATHERED, TESTED AND DEPLOYED.
VIEW MORE OF THE ARTISTS WORK AT:
WWW.AARONMARTIN.COM.AU
WWW.JULIABOROS.COM
DARK HORSE EXPERIMENT PRESENTS:
'LIGHTS'
BY CHLOE VALLANCE
OPENING 2ND FEB 6PM - 9PM
EXHIBITION RUNS 2ND - 24TH FEB
THE DARK HORSE EXPERIMENT CELEBRATES THE BEGINNING OF 2018 WITH LIGHTS, AN EXHIBITION BY EMERGING ARTIST CHLOE VALLANCE THAT GENTLY EXPLORES THE FLUID INTERFACE OF EVERYDAY INTERACTIONS AND EPHEMERAL MOMENTS.
WORKING WITH COLOUR PENCILS, INK, GOUACHE, WATERCOLOUR AND ACRYLIC PAINT, VALLANCE’S ARTWORK DRAWS PEOPLE TOGETHER FLOWING AND GROWING, WITHIN THEMSELVES AND WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
VISITORS TO LIGHTS ARE WELCOMED INTO THE GALLERY AND ENCOURAGED TO FLOW THROUGH THE SPACE AS THEY CONTEMPLATE THE SUBTLE MOMENTS OF EVERYDAY LIFE CAPTURED IN THIS UNIQUE SERIES OF DELICATE PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS.
COME BE IMMERSED BY THESE POETIC CAPTIONS OF EVERYDAY LIFE.