Richard Watts speaks with Midsumma’s Tim Bateson about the ‘Men on
Men’ art competition.
{gallery}387/Features/Art{/gallery}
Anthony Cleave
Black
Boy Roses
Oil
on canvas
50 x
200cm
Michael Mark
Thorn
Apple – unfinished business with Geoffrey
Egg
tempera on Linen
80 x 120cm
Michael Davids
Hard
Elegance
Acrylic
on canvas crowed in swarovski crystals
40 x
40 in
Stephen Ngaa
Spring
Gaiety
Chinese
ink on paper
50 x
60cm
The annual ‘Men on Men’ art exhibition,
this year collaboration between The Laird and Midsumma Festival, opens with a
gender-inclusive exhibition this weekend.
Coordinator Tim Bateson says some 30
artworks were submitted this year, across a wide range of media.
“The range is certainly broader than I
thought; I’d expected predominantly photography,” he says. “There’s an
animation cell for instance, which is quite out there. I wouldn’t have expected
that to come in. Then there’s some pastel work, some pencil work, acrylic painting,
oils, photography; and at the other end [of the scale] there’s a beautiful
piece, which is egg tempura on linen, which is just yummy.”
There’s an equivalent range in the
professionalism of the works presented, Bateson says, which is expected and
encouraged in a community art exhibition.
“There’s certainly three or four pieces
which stand out as being produced by highly skilled artists; and then there’s
also a new artist who’s never produced work for ‘Men on Men’ before, and who’s
really excited about being involved. He’s produced some quirky little acrylic
canvases, which are quite fun.”
One of the only strictures on work entered
into the exhibition is that it must represent and celebrate masculinity.
“It fits in with the whole profile of the
show, and the HiBearnation week, which is really what this show is about at the
end of the day,” Bateson explains.
“There’s no drag queens; and no real pin-up
boys [on show], but then it’s not all bears and leather and sex either. There’s
one quite erotic piece which explores sex toys in a photographic series; and
then there’s other works which are just about the male figure, which are quite
quiet and quite beautiful.”
The
‘Men on Men’ art exhibition opens with a special showing this Saturday June 7,
2pm – 5pm (women welcome) and runs until Saturday June 21. Winners are
announced on the final day of the exhibition, as part of Southern
HiBearnation.
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The art of masculinity
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