Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, 200 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Until December 15

Each year, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces mounts a studio show featuring the artists currently participating its emerging artists’ studio program.

Sixteen artists are selected to work in the Fitzroy institution’s non-residential studios; which also provides them with the opportunity to present individual exhibitions, as well as participate in the annual group exhibition. The artists chosen embody experimentation and diversity in their approach to contemporary art.

This year’s studio artists are Benjamin Armstrong, Brodie Ellis, Pat Foster/Jen Berean, Starlie Geikie, Matt Griffin, Bianca Hester, Lily Hibberd, Mark Hilton, Natalya Hughes, Alex Martinis Roe, Florentina Munteanu, Sanja Pahoki, Simon Pericich, Nick Selenitsch, Noël Skrzypczak and Christian Thompson.

In both the front and main galleries at Gertrude, works are installed in ways that will no doubt challenge audiences’ thinking about contemporary art.
Noël Skrzypczak presents a remarkable piece painted on the gallery wall itself. The elusive form that she has created succeeds in disturbing the rigid shape of the gallery space, turning it into something more pliable.

Another artist who plays with form and architecture is Alex Martinis Roe, an emerging artist destined for a great career. In her video work she is shown tearing her way out of a sheet of white paper. This has been described as the artist literally eating her way out of the gallery wall. The performance is captivating, and shows Roe’s ability to communicate a relatively simple idea in an engaging and provocative manner.

In the main gallery, Christian Thompson has created a video piece that investigates indigenous identity. As a Bidjara man of the Kunja Nation, and as someone with German heritage, Christian draws on his personal experiences of growing up in the 1980s. His influences include pop culture, dance and fashion, all of which can be seen in his displayed video piece.

The best way to approach this exhibition is to leave behind your preconceptions about what contemporary art should and shouldn’t be. Gertrude Studios 2007 offers the viewer a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the dynamic vision of a gallery and its artists. And don’t forget to keep an eye open for the forums that Gertrude stages each year: they’re a fantastic opportunity to learn more about current debates and trends in contemporary art.

www.gertrude.org.au

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