27 January - 18 February 2012 Opening: 6-8pm Wednesday 25 January 2012 Artist Talk: 5:30-6:30pm 16 February 2012
Jelena Telecki’s work deals with the aftermath of a failure or the moment in which one realises that he/she has been defeated. Her paintings often depict people tripping, slipping, doing something pointless or simply giving up on trying. Regardless of this, there is some promise for something else (perhaps better) to happen, something that would justify the embarrassment.
It is difficult to define failure for many various reasons, as failure in one system may not be failure in another. Similarly, in Telecki’s work, the foolishness and pointlessness depicted may not be all it seems to be.
Jelena Telecki is a Sydney-based artist born in Yugoslavia. She has recently completed a Master of Visual Arts degree at the Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney, and is a recipient of the Australia Council for the Arts' New Work Grant (Emerging). Teleèki has exhibited in Sydney, Melbourne, London and Serbia.
Gallery 2
Contents Julian Smith
27 January - 18 February 2012 Opening: 6-8pm Wednesday 25 January 2012 Artist Talk: 5:30-6:30pm 16 February 2012
Through painting, Julian Smith explores box displays as tableaux of Enlightenment knowledge and its deconstruction: the ‘cabinet of curiosities’, ‘the memory machine’, dioramas and Joseph Cornell’s boxes all combine interesting objects in a suggestive way. In these paintings, the hierarchy of objects is subverted through contexts that are fractured and disparate. Contents uses a collage-like process of sourcing various component images and objects and combining them to form the rudiments of a scene. These works investigate the language of representation—with photorealism and traditional illusionism attempting communication.
Julian Smith graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) at RMIT in 2003. He has since exhibited his work in several group and solo exhibitions throughout Victoria. His work deals directly with the language of representational painting and draws upon many varied techniques and media.
Gallery 3
Home Recordings Makiko Yamamoto
27 January - 18 February 2012 Opening: 6-8pm Wednesday 25 January 2012 Artist Talk: 5:30-6:30pm 16 February 2012
Home Recordings is an installation that arose out of conversations whilst painting my nails with someone else’s nail polish. My fingernails began to control my fingers; I became submissive towards my fingernails.
Through the presentation of various types of documents, Makiko Yamamoto reveals intimate fascinations revolving around her body within the home. Often taking an absurd and humorous approach Yamamoto brings her private performances into a public space to assert a physical presence from material often discarded.
Makiko Yamamoto is currently undertaking a Master of Fine Art at the VCA in Melbourne. Her practice deals with the voice as a material to examine its potential as a medium in contemporary art, investigating the position of the voice as it stands in between body and language, between subject and other. Through the absence of the body she brings a psychological reading to the voice, which infiltrates the space. She applies these ideas as triggers for sound-based recordings, digital video and text-based works to create spatial relationships between the viewer and the site. In 2010 Makiko was awarded the West Space VCA Award.
Back Space
Whatever Hippie Sam George
27 January - 4 February 2012
Sam George is an artist (for want of a better word) who wants to play in the bush league. She reveres idiocy and’ll flummox you with some embarrassingly earnest attempt to roundhouse and *share*. Savour the blench – this is true daring. Remember that stupidity will bring us together as much as love will tear us apart. – M G
Whatever hippie is part of the Today Your Love program which is generously supported by the Australia Council. George will inhabit the Back Space over January while West Space is closed to create a special intervention which will then be presented to the public for a limited time.
Sam George enjoys making, talking, thinking and occasionally feeling. Relaxing and hanging out with great people is integral to her practice. She has a soft spot for this world but at times is upset by it.
