An immersive exhibition of artist books, collages, and etching by Queensland artist Glen Skien kicks off the 2016 season at Deakin University Art Gallery this month.
Open until 31 March, MYTHO-POETIC interrogates the human condition with assemblages and installations that bring to life social histories and vexing questions of Australian identity, place, and myth.
Dr Jess Berry, Lecturer at the Queensland College of Art, explained that Skien is highly respected in the national printmaking community and the delicacy and sensitivity of his images spark immediate affinity.
“As with atlas cartographers, Skien’s images of the past are fleeting, recuperated from lost and forgotten sources,” Dr Berry said.
“In their reconfigured state, the original images become almost unrecognisable, echoing the way memory plays the game of Chinese whispers, obscured by what we know and see later.
“Thus, Skien mobilises his ghostly atlas of images, objects and texts to remind us that history is an apparition of the disappeared and the departed.”
Leanne Willis, Manager of Art Collection and Galleries at Deakin University, explained that Skein’s etching practice is the platform for his work.
“His underlying narratives utilise the symbolic imagery of maps, postcards, books and ephemera,” Ms Willis explained.
“Images of fish and birds, boats and houses, solitary figures and cryptic inscriptions appear frequently as myths and icons. These motifs are highly evocative of familiar places, lost encounters, life histories, and autobiographical chronicles.”
MYTHO-POETIC is organised by Gympie Regional Gallery and toured by Museums & Galleries Queensland to 16 venues in all Australian States until mid-2016.
Key Dates
MYTHO-POETIC exhibition at Deakin University Art Gallery
Dates: 25 February – 31 March
Location: Deakin University Art Gallery, Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway
Hours: Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 4pm. By appointment on Monday for groups over 10.
Cost: Free entry
Free Floor Talk
Join artist Glen Skien for a free exhibition floor talk in the exhibition space.
Date: Wednesday 23 March
Time: 6 - 7pm
Location: Deakin University Art Gallery, Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway
RSVP: By Friday 18 March on (03) 9244 5344 or artgallery@deakin.edu.au
Refreshments will be provided.
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