Major new group show at Griffith University Art Museum considers the role of contemporary art in confronting issues of desire and repression.
Featuring the work of 25 contemporary Australian and international artists, The Abyss explores the push and pull of seductive and repellent images.
The exhibition includes international luminaries such as performance and film pioneer Carolee Schneemann (USA), and famously subversive conceptual artist Dieter Roth (Germany/Switzerland) alongside works by acclaimed Australian artists such as Tony Albert, Gordon Bennett and Louise Hearman.
Exhibition curator, Naomi Evans, says “These artists draw us in with richly layered imagery and forms, often depicting the body as the site of knowledge, desire, resistance, and revulsion – sometimes all at once.”
Angela Goddard, Director of Griffith University Art Museum, says “This exhibition reminds us of the long tradition of artists as truth-tellers, holding up a mirror to our desires and fears. While the content might be confronting for some viewers, we believe in the importance of art to challenge us and offer models for change.”
The Opening event will be held Saturday 27 July at 2pm in the Art Museum, with a range of public programs planned for coming weeks.
ARTISTS:
Tony Albert, Hany Armanious, Gordon Bennett, Krista Berga, Anastasia Booth, Juan Davila, Karla Dickens, Chantal Fraser, Karl Fritsch and Francis Upritchard, Ian Haig, Louise Hearman, Gordon Hookey, Natalya Hughes, Emily Hunt, Robert Pulie, Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, Carolee Schneemann, Dieter Roth, Tim Schultz, Tyza Stewart, Sophie Takách, Wart, Jemima Wyman, Paul Yore.
Image: Karla Dickens, Sleeping Beauty IV from the series ‘Black and Blue’ 2016.
