You would appreciate that I am fairly reclusive… it will be fairly disruptive to my usual way of doing things… I will be spending a long time on the road….
Despite the above, very reasonable hesitations from the artist we are most pleased and excited to announce that he has agreed to install his workshop on our ‘island studio’ floor from 23 April to 13 June. Over the course of the residency he intends to revisit an area he has worked in before and develop a new suite of small table works.
Stuart describes the proposed work thus-
There are several of these types of tables in various collections and they were also forerunners to later, larger scale works seen in 2002 and 2008 at Turner Galleries. They have a considerable lineage and I have previously worked with small suites of this nature and found them a most sublime area in which to work. Neither as layered or loaded as my larger installation and table works, these smaller versions can develop quite a lot of power, as much from what is not there as that which is.
I propose to develop a suite of 3D works consisting of a number of small painted wooden tables, each with a single drawer, with the top surfaces of the tables containing sparse elements of enigmatic dramas. Consistent with the way I have been working for quite a while now, I would accompany these with wall works, appropriate to these table works but independent of them.
Starting from scratch the exhibition will grow and change as new pieces are added, culminating in an exhibition on Thursday 3 June, ten days out from the close of the residency. We’ll post images of the pieces to our website as they are completed. All works will be available for sale.
Throughout the residency visitors will have a special opportunity to observe Stuart at work, follow his progress and talk with him one on one as he creates what promises to be a special series of his trademark intriguing, enigmatic and dramatic works. A small publication will document the artist’s stay and the work made. This will be available at the Exit Talk, Sunday 13 June.
Enquiries are welcome from secondary and tertiary students groups for Wednesday tutorials with this experienced and versatile artist, designer and teacher.
