Exhibition celebrates emerging ANU artists
Works by Brian Evans, who created sculptures of his father's head from memory.
More than 140 artworks created by graduating students of the ANU School of Art and Design will be on display from Friday 24 November until 3 December in one of Canberra's biggest annual art exhibitions.
The Graduating Exhibition of 2017 will be held in the workshops of the 10 disciplines - textiles, gold, silver, furniture, sculpture, printmaking, painting, ceramics, glass, and design - with the School's Main Gallery displaying the works of Honours, Masters and Masters Advanced graduates.
Among the works is a confronting series of sculptures by Brian Evans, whose work is based on his observations of his father who has been affected by Alzheimer's.
"I have always had a specific idea of who my dad is in my mind: strong, competent and someone that I looked up to. I am now witnessing his physical body becoming a shell whilst his personality and soul is decaying," Brian said.
"I wanted to convey the frailty of the human condition in the forms and with the materials I used. So I have sculpted busts of my father in wax, in unfired clay and other materials including, structural grout which has the porous appearance of pumice stone.
"The titles of each bust reflect a memory of dad or common phrases he now repeats."
Head of the School of Art and Design, Professor Denise Ferris, said the 2017 Graduating Exhibition celebrates 40 years of rich history at the School of Art and Design which continues to play a central role in the cultural life of Canberra.
"The exhibition reveals the School's diversity of these skilled emerging artists. We are seeing a lot of conceptual work, as well digital work utilising data in innovative ways," Professor Ferris said.
"The students' work as contemporary practice reflects what's going on in society."
Chek out the exhitition catalogue online.