Marcus Carne 'East to West' Monday 31st March to Friday 25th April 2014

We are so happy to exhibit Marcus Carne's latest show East to West, it is a killer! East to West was the last show in our 2013/2014 summer program and one that encompassed the carefree yet passionate nature of artist Marcus Carne. It takes a keen and committed eye to find the unassuming beauty in urban detritus, then for the body of work to have a sense of cohesion is an especially challenging task. Marcus' installation succeeded in extracting the interesting from the mundane and created aesthetically strong relationships within the found. 

Thanks Marcus, it was a pleasure!

Artist Statement

East to West is a collection of sculptures and installations using found building materials that Marcus sees as the potential building blocks for something new and unintended. These blocks are bent, painted and composed not to hide their original states but to highlight their potential value to those willing to appreciate them.

In Marcus’s recent work he attempts to explore notions of industrial waste as both a personal means to relinquish control from his usual meticulous practice and in the broader sense re-contextualise discarded building materials to apply new meaning to found waste. 

Biography

Marcus Carne is a Melbourne based artist currently undertaking a degree in Fine Art at Melbourne University. Marcus has been studying in the Graphic Design and Arts industry for several years. He has consistently contributed to group and solo shows over the last 3 years, including exhibitions at Somewhere Gallery, BSG and the VCA Student Gallery. 

Check out more of Marcus' work at http://cargocollective.com/marcuscarne

Tul Suwannakit and Michael Carolan "Displaced" 22nd June - 20th July

This is the second time Tul Suwannakit has exhibited at RAS and the first for text based installation artist Michael Carolan. I've never wanted half a rabbit more in my life (but which half?) Thanks for a great show chaps!

Artist Statement

"Displaced" explores and investigates the notion of alienation and dislocation by using language and nature that are removed from conventional formats and natural habitats.

The installation works are used to produce text-based imagery and staged narratives that function both as a communicative interpretation of, and metaphor for, habitual dislocation.

The artists also challenge and push the boundaries of each others' practice, resulting in a dynamic tension of oppositions between the body of work presented in this exhibition.

Biography

Tul Suwannakit’s works explore the presence of wild and domesticated animals within the urban environments with regards to habitat through taxidermy in site-specific installations. The animals represent the artist’s personal experience of migration, displacing in various parts of the world.  Through the combination of taxidermy, sculpture, video projections and photography, the artist creates a series of staged narratives that explores ideas of dislocation and alienation, isolation and adaptation, and the relationship between reality and fiction.

Michael Carolan is a Melbourne-based visual artist making installation and site-specific works that incorporate and blend digital, video, 3D, sound and text-based media. Using this interdisciplinary approach his works aim to investigate issues surrounding the conventions that govern hierarchies, systems, structures and the use of language.

See more of Tul's work at nomadicfoe.com and Michael's at michaelcarolan.com.au.

The Birds ARI "Mating Call" 29th April - 26th May

Eggs anyone? Perhaps a little Birdformance Art? On Monday the 29th we hosted The Birds ARI at RAS. What a fine collective they are indeed. Not only did the viewer get to enjoy the wonderful images  of The Birds ARI in their natural habitat, they also got a live and in the flesh meet and tweet with the creatures themselves. Lucky punks. Thanks Birds!  

Biography

The Birds ARI is Ria Green, Claire Robertson, Melissa Matveyeff and Lisa Frankland.  Four Melbourne based artist who met through the RMIT Master of Fine Art Program and who work across mediums including video, printmaking, performance, sculpture, installation, and photography. 

The Birds make experimental artwork in a collaborative environment. Members take it in turns to curate and produce an event or project, developing the conceptual framework and then letting the ARI develop the idea collectively.

Artist Statement

The concept for Mating Call developed out of an interest in the bizzare rituals associated with ‘making a first impression,’ the ‘pick up,’ ‘flirt,’ or ‘score’ in the context of a bar or club, and how artists often perform similar rituals at openings to make an impression on curators, directors or fellow artists.  In Mating Call the artists each take on a stereotype to perform for each other and compete for attention.