PREVIOUS EXHIBITIONS - 2016
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BLENDER CHRISTMAS SHOW
END OF YEAR CELEBRATION
FRIDAY 2ND DECEMBER
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EXHIBITIONS RUNS: 3RD-17TH DECEMBER
GALLERY HOURS: WEDS-SAT, 12-5PM
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15 YEARS AGO THE BLENDER STUDIOS OPENED ITS DOORS FOR THE FIRST TIME AND CAUSED A FLURRY OF MOVEMENT WITHIN MELBOURNE'S CREATIVE SCENES; OUT POURED A MYRIAD OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION THAT HAS GONE ON TO INFLUENCE THE FACE OF AUSTRALIAN ART.
THE CHRISTMAS GROUP SHOW IS THE MOST HIGHLY ANTICIPATED SHOW IN OUR ANNUAL CALENDAR AS WE OPEN OUR DOORS TO SHOWCASE THE LATEST RESEARCH AND WORKS BY OVER 17 ARTISTS THAT CALL THE BLENDER HOME.
EACH INDIVIDUAL STUDIO WILL BE SET UP IN A GALLERY CONTEXT, WITH A MINI EXHIBITION OF WORKS IN EVERY SPACE. THE TWO LARGER GALLERY SPACES WILL FEATURE A GROUP EXHIBITION CURATED BY ADRIAN DOYLE FEATURING AN INCREDIBLE LINEUP OF ARTISTS. FROM PERFORMANCE TO FINE ART, SPACE ACTIVATION TO STREET ART THIS SHOW OFFERS THE ARTISTS AN IMPORTANT AVENUE TO SHOW THE PUBLIC WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
COME AND EXPLORE THE ARTISTIC WONDER OF MELBOURNE CBD'S LARGEST REMAINING WAREHOUSE STUDIO SPACE.
AS ANY PREVIOUS VISITOR WOULD ALSO KNOW, THE SHOW IS NOT ONLY AN OPPURTUNITY TO CELEBRATE THE ARTISTIC TALENT OF OUR STUDIO, BUT ALSO A GREAT EXCUSE TO THROW THE BEST CHRISTMAS PARTY IN TOWN.
ADRIAN DOYLE
MARCUS ENCEL
JUNKY PROJECTS
GOONHUGS
TIM STERLING
CRAIG COLE
SEBASTIAN FRANSZ
CAPER
JO HARRISON
MAN OF DARKNESS
BEN FROST
CHRISTOPHER HANCOCK
MAHA
RUSKIDD
JAMES WILSON
SHANE STERRY
ADI
HEESCO
A GRAFFITIED LAND
BY ADRIAN BRADBURY
DARK HORSE EXPERIMENT PRESENTS: A GRAFFITIED LAND, BY ADRIAN BRADBURY.
OPENING NIGHT: FRIDAY 11TH NOVEMBER 2016
EXHIBITIONS RUNS: 12TH NOV - 26TH NOV 2016
GALLERY HOURS: WEDS-SAT, 12-5PM
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THIS BODY OF WORK COMBINES MY INTERESTS IN LANDSCAPE PAINTING, GRAFFITI, AND THE TASMANIAN LANDSCAPE.
IN THESE PAINTINGS I AM COMPARING THE TASMANIAN LANDSCAPE TO THAT OF AN URBAN LANEWAY WALL, WITH ITS MANY, MANY LAYERS OF PAINT: GRAFFITI, ATTEMPTED REMOVAL, OVER PAINTED, MORE GRAFFITI, SLASHED, BUFFED OVER, YET MORE GRAFFITI, WHITE WASHED ETC. ETC… AS I AM PAINTING THESE WORKS I'M WONDERING IF IT IS POSSIBLE TO READ A HISTORY OF THE LAND IN THESE LAYERS?MOST OF THE WORKS IN THE EXHIBITION BEGAN AS PHOTOGRAPHS OR SKETCHES MADE WHILST WORKING IN TASMANIA'S NATIONAL PARKS CONSTRUCTING WALKING TRACKS. THE PHOTOGRAPHS OR MEMORIES ARE THEN INTERPRETED IN OIL PAINT ON CANVAS OR WATERCOLOUR ON PAPER IN A FAIRLY TRADITIONAL STYLE. LATER I BEGIN TO LAYER OVER THE TOP OF THESE REPRESENTATIONAL PAINTINGS WITH MORE GESTURAL MARKS, APPLIED EITHER WITH A SPRAY CAN OR A ROLLER. THROUGH THIS PROCESS THE ORIGINAL LANDSCAPE BECOMES EITHER PARTIALLY OR COMPLETELY OBSCURED. WHILE READING JAMES BOYCE'S BOOK VAN DIEMEN'S LAND, IT STRUCK ME (NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME) JUST HOW MUCH THE LAND WE INHABIT HAS ENDURED, AND HOW MUCH IT MUST HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME AS GEOLOGICAL FORCES HAVE TAKEN THEIR COURSE, AND AS HUMAN HANDS HAVE WORKED AND REWORKED THE LAND. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO ADDRESS THIS IDEA OF A CHANGING LAND IN MY PAINTINGS THROUGH A LAYERED APPLICATION OF PAINT, AND HAVE SUGGESTED THE ROLE OF THE HUMAN HAND BY INTRODUCING GRAFFITI-STYLE MARK MAKING TO CERTAIN PAINTINGS. IN OTHER PAINTINGS THE FINAL SPRAY PAINTED LAYER CREATES A MISTY VEIL THROUGH WHICH THE LAND CAN ONLY JUST BE SEEN.HOPEFULLY WITH THIS BODY OF WORK THE VIEWER GETS A SENSE OF A LAND CONSTANTLY CHANGING AND EVOLVING, MUCH LIKE THE PAINTED LAYERS OF AN URBAN LANEWAY WALL.
ADRIAN BRADBURY
2016
'STUDIO'
A SOLO SHOW BY CRAIG COLE
OPENING NIGHT: FRIDAY 14TH OCTOBER
LOCATION: DARK HORSE EXPERIMENT, 110 FRANKLIN ST
EXHIBITION RUNS: 15TH OCT - 5TH NOV 2016
OPENING HOURS: 12PM-5PM, WED- SAT
"PAINTING SPEAKS OF A CERTAIN ALCHEMY, A VISUAL ALCHEMY THAT TRANSFORMS THE WORLD INTO THE SEMBLANCE OF A PAINTED SURFACE. THIS MAKING OF ALCHEMY IS AN INEXHAUSTIBLE TASK, BEING REPEATED AND CONTINUOUSLY RENEWED, IT IS AN ATTEMPT TO CREATE A PAINTING, TO MAKE IT ESSENTIAL TO THE WORLD. WITH OUR REALITY NOW EMBEDDED IN THE LIVES OF IMAGES, PAINTING AMIDST THIS PURVIEW, ESTABLISHES A RELATIONSHIP TO A PICTORIAL AND VISUAL PARADIGM. FOR PAINTING, WHAT IS NEEDED IS ALWAYS ESTABLISHED IN THE VISUAL, AS PAINTING IS BORNE FROM A VISUAL LOGIC. IT IS A LOGIC THAT BEGINS FROM A SIMPLE PREMISE – WHAT SHOULD I PAINT? WHAT SHOULD BE PAINTED?
THESE UNDERLYING QUESTIONS REMAIN EVER PRESENT IN THE WORKS OF CRAIG COLE. HE IS AN ARTIST WHO FINDS CONVICTION IN PAINTING. IN HIS LATEST BODY OF WORK, COLE LOOKS AT SUBJECT MATTER THAT IS CLOSE TO HAND, THE MUNDANE OBJECTS AND SETTINGS THAT ARE IMMEDIATE TO THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE STUDIO. AS AN ARTIST HE CHOOSES NOT TO STRAY FAR.
IT IS IN THE EVERYDAY DETRITUS THAT LITTERS THE STUDIO THAT THE BANAL AND MUNDANE IS AFFIRMED AND THE MAKING OF THE VISUAL ARISES. THE IDIOSYNCRASY OF COLE’S VISUAL FORMULATIONS PRESENTS US WITH PAINTINGS THAT ARE BOTH TACTILE AND OPTICAL. WHETHER AN INCONSPICUOUS SCENE THAT CAPTURES LITTLE MORE THAN A CORNER OF THE STUDIO, OR A FOUND OBJECT SERENDIPITOUSLY PLACED, COLE’S PAINTINGS CONFOUND OUR SENSE OF SPACE WHILST CAREFULLY CONVEYING AN OBJECTS MATERIALITY. HE WORKS HIS PAINTINGS IN A MANNER OF REALISM THAT IS FORMALLY ASTUTE. OFTEN USING MULTIPLE EDGES OF THE PICTURE PLANE AS THE PAINTINGS INTERNAL ARMATURE. AS THESE STUDIO PAINTINGS CAN ATTEST, WE ENCOUNTER MOMENTS – THE BACKDROP OF SPRAWLING GRAFFITI OR THE RENDERING OF A BRICK WALL – WERE WE MOMENTARILY LOSE SIGHT OF WHAT IS INSIDE THE FRAME OF THE PAINTING AND WHAT EXISTS OUTSIDE. THE REQUISITE IS IN FINDING THE EDGE. AS A PAINTER THEN, COLE BRINGS US TO A PAINTINGS LIMITS, BY MAKING A VISUAL ALCHEMY THAT HINGES BETWEEN SEMBLANCE AND ARTIFICE, OF THE REAL AND UNREAL, WHICH IS THE PLACE OF THE STUDIO."
-KEITH WONG
'CONSTRUCTION LINES - ENTER AT OWN RISK'
BY JO HARRISON
OPENING NIGHT: FRIDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER
LOCATION: DARK HORSE EXPERIMENT, 110 FRANKLIN ST
EXHIBITION RUNS: 24TH SEP - 8TH OCT
OPENING HOURS: 12PM-5PM, WED- SAT
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COMBINING INSTALLATION AND LARGE SCALE DRAWINGS, DARK HORSE EXPERIMENT PRESENTS: 'CONSTRUCTION LINES - ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK!' AN EXHIBITION BY JO HARRISON WHICH DEPICTS TRANSITIONAL STRUCTURAL SITUATIONS, AND EXPLORES THE WAY THAT THE INDIVIDUAL INTERACTS WITH THEM.
WITH A BACKGROUND INVOLVING DANCE AND ARCHITECTURE, JO HAS BEEN EXPLORING URBAN ENVIRONMENTS WORLDWIDE, OBSERVING AND DOCUMENTING THE CONSTANT FLUX AND CYCLICAL SCENARIOS PREVALENT IN CITIES.
USING A STAGE-SET IDEA IN THE GUISE OF A CONSTRUCTION SITE, THE VIEWER IS INVITED TO BECOME AN INTRINSIC PART OF THE ARTWORK, INTERACTING WITH THE PIECE AND ANIMATING IT THROUGH THEIR PRESENCE; THE SHADOWS AND LIGHT WILL CHANGE DEPENDING ON THE MOVEMENT WITHIN THE SPACE - STATIC WHEN DEVOID OF PEOPLE.
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​THERE IS NO CONCLUSION, JUST CONSTRUCTION.
INTERVENTION
BY JIM GURR
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OPENING NIGHT: FRIDAY 12TH AUGUST
LOCATION: DARK HORSE EXPERIMENT, 110 FRANKLIN ST
EXHIBITION RUNS: WEDNESDAY 12-27 AUGUST
OPENING HOURS: 12PM-5PM, WED- SAT
DARK HORSE EXPERIMENT PRESENTS INTERVENTION, A PHOTOGRAPHIC SERIES BY JIM GURR. CAPTURED IN PARIS AND SURROUNDING SUBURBS IN DECEMBER 2015, THE MONTH FOLLOWING THE PARIS ATTACKS, THIS EXHIBITION EXPLORES THE UNREST OF A LOST METROPOLIS AND THE LONE WANDERERS PASSING THROUGH.
INTERVENTION PRESENTS A SERIES OF LINEAR PHOTOGRAPHS READ AS A DISJOINTED STRIP OF FILM, TANGIBLE AND COMFORTABLY SCALED. THE PAIRING OF PHOTOGRAPHS WITHIN THE SHOW ALLOWS GURR TO CREATE UNNERVING CONTRASTS BETWEEN LIGHT AND DARK, NATURE AND CONSTRUCTED, SAFETY AND THE UNKNOWN.
INTERVENTION FURTHER UNSETTLES WITH A CONSUMING INSTALLATION WHERE PHYSICAL ILLUMINATION ALLUDES TO IMMINENT MOVEMENT - SUBVERTING FAMILIARITY. ACCOMPANIED BY A SOUNDSCAPE OF OSCILLATING THREAT AND CALM. STILLNESS IS SELF-ANIMATED, LIGHT AND NATURE DISTURBED AND THREAT DETONATES DISORIENTATION.
THIS EXHIBITION MARKS THE FIRST SOLO EXHIBITION BY JIM GURR. A CREATIVE CULMINATION OF CINEMA AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE STUDIES, PREVIOUS WORKS BEING SELECTED FOR FILM FESTIVALS AND EXHIBITED AT THE NGV IAN POTTER GALLERY. THE INSTALLATION INTEGRALLY SCORED BY FREQUENT COLLABORATOR ELIZABETH MCMILLAN WHO STUDIED COMPOSITION UNDER KEIKO FUJI.
‘ISOLATION CAN BE LIBERATING, WHERE FREEDOM AND POSSIBILITY SEEM BOUNDLESS. BUT THE LINE IS ALREADY DRAWN. WANDERING CLUELESS IN THE AFTERGLOW OF HORROR. KNOWN LANDSCAPES AND LOCATIONS ARE NOW DISORIENTED AND LOST.
WHERE LIGHT GUIDES AND DARKNESS BECKONS, DOES NATURE EMBRACE? THE CONSTRUCTED INTIMIDATE? VENTURE THROUGH COMFORT AND FEAR. NEITHER LIGHT NOR DARK. BEYOND COMFORTABLE ILLUSIONS TO FIND THE BEAUTY OF DESOLATION.’
REFLECTIVEINK
BY RADIANCE
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OPENING FRIDAY 29TH JULY 6-9PM
EXHIBITION RUNS WEDNESDAY 27TH JULY - SUNDAY 31ST JULY
GALLERY OPENS 12-5PM
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DARK HORSE EXPERIMENT PRESENTS THE EXCITING NEW SOLO SHOW REFLECTIVEINK FROM RADIANCE. THIS EXHIBITION PUSHES THE BOUNDARIES OF NEW MEDIA INCORPORATING INTERACTIVE PROJECTION MAPPING; ALLOWING THE AUDIENCE TO BE INVOLVED IN THE OUTCOME.
RADIANCE EXPLORES THE PROCESS OF REMEDIATION TO TRANSFORM HAND DRAWN ILLUSTRATIONS INTO A NEW MEDIA INSTALLATION USING INTERACTIVITY AND PROJECTION MAPPING WITH DIGITAL ENCODING. IT BRINGS TOGETHER A CONVERGENCE OF FORMATS FROM PRINT TO MOVING IMAGE THROUGH AN INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO MEDIA PRODUCTION. THE SIMPLE EXPRESSION OF MARK MAKING BECOMES ENHANCED BY NEW MEDIA TECHNOLOGY EXPLORING THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN ANALOGUE AND DIGITAL, THE HAND MADE AND THE COMPUTER GENERATED.
THE ILLUSTRATIONS HOLD MEMORIES INSIDE THEIR PATTERNS, WITH STORIES TOLD ABOUT PERSONAL REFLECTIONS AND PROCESSING OF EXPERIENCES IN THEIR DESIGNS. THESE STORIES ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE DECODED BY THE VIEWER BUT ARE MORE AN EXPLORATION ON THE WAY THAT WE CAN SHARE MEMORIES WITH ONE ANOTHER. THE STORIES, STARTED IN THE PATTERNS BY THE ARTIST, ARE UNFINISHED UNTIL THE VIEWER WEAVES THEIR OWN VERSION OF THE ENDING THROUGH INTERACTIVELY GENERATING NEW COMBINATIONS OF THE PATTERNS. IN THIS WAY MEMORIES BECOME LIVING CONCEPTS AS THEY WEAVE STORIES INTO THE PRESENT RATHER THAN BEING CAPTIVES OF THE PAST.
TINY WRITERS
BY GOONHUGS
OPENING FRIDAY 10TH JUNE 6-9PM
EXHIBITION RUNS 10TH JUNE - 2ND JULY 2016
IN HIS MUCH ANTICIPATED FIRST SOLO SHOW, MELBOURNE'S RENOWNED STICKER ARTIST GOONHUGS WILL EXHIBIT AN EXCITING AND ALTERNATIVE SIDE OF HIS ART THROUGH SCULPTURAL DIORAMAS.
PAINSTAKINGLY CREATED WITH NO DETAIL LEFT UNCONSIDERED, GOONHUGS' DIORAMAS PRESENT A BEAUTIFUL AND RAW DOCUMENTATION OF HIS INFAMOUS STICKER TAKEOVERS WHILE EMBRACING ALL THE GRIME AND FILTH OF THE URBAN LANDSCAPES THAT INSPIRE HIM.
APTLY NAMED 'TINY WRITERS', THIS EXHIBITION IS ALL ABOUT CONSIDERING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE GRAFFITI WRITER AND THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT, VISUALLY REPRESENTING THIS RELATIONSHIP THROUGH MINIATURE RECREATIONS OF SUCH URBAN SPACES.
EACH PIECE STARTS AS A SIMPLE CARDBOARD BOX, BUT UNDER THE INVENTIVE AND PATIENT HAND OF THE ARTIST AN ENTIRE MINIATURE WORLD FULL OF GRIT AND MYSTERY IS CREATED; A SPACE YOU CAN IMAGINE YOURSELF STANDING IN, WHERE THE BALANCE BETWEEN GRAFFITI AND ENVIRONMENT IS BOTH TUMULTUOUS AND HARMONIC AT THE SAME TIME.
THE SHOW OPENS FROM 6-9PM ON FRIDAY THE 10TH OF JUNE AND RUNS FOR 3 WEEKS UNTIL THE 2ND OF JULY
IN BLENDER STUDIOS POP UP SPACE:
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DAGGERS
NEW WORK BY
CREATURE CREATURE
OPENING FRIDAY 6TH MAY, 6PM-9PM
EXHIBITION RUNS 7TH & 8TH MAY, 11AM-5PM
CREATURE CREATURE'S LATEST SERIES OF WORK IS ABOUT BRINGING INWARD DISPOSITION TO THE SURFACE WITH A DEMONSTRATION OF HIGH INTENSITY AND ROMANTIC DRAMA.
ILLUSTRATING THE INTERNAL WITH OUTWARD DISPLAYS OF ARMOUR, WEAPONS, CREATURES AND COLOURS. SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATIONS OF FORTITUDE.
VISUAL STYLE AND MOTIFS COMES FROM BOTH A PAST AND FUTURE AESTHETICS RESULTING IN A SERIES OF CHARACTERS, AND SENSE OF NARRATIVE AND MYTHOLOGY: STORIES OF NEW/OLD HEROES AND SUPERPOWERS.
DAGGERS WILL ONLY RUN FOR 3 DAYS!
THE FOUND
BY JUNKY PROJECTS
OPENING NIGHT: 1ST APRIL 2016, 6PM-9PM
EXHIBITION RUNS: 2ND APRIL - 22ND APRIL 2016
AFTER THE END
ONCE THE DUST SETTLES
AND THE SMOKE CLEARS
ALL THAT REMAINS
IS... 'THE FOUND'
A TRIBE OF SCAVENGERS
THE FOUND ROAM THE WASTE
IN SEARCH OF PIECES
IN SEARCH OF ANSWERS
IN SEARCH OF ANYTHING
'THE FOUND' IS THE SECOND SOLO EXHIBITION OF MELBOURNE BASED ARTIST, DANIEL LYNCH. HIS ONGOING STREET SCULPTURE CAMPAIGN 'THE JUNKY PROJECTS' HAS SEEN HIM INSTALL OVER 4500 JUNK SCULPTURES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY; ALL ENTIRELY MADE FROM RECYCLED AND FOUND OBJECTS.
IN THIS EXHIBITTION, JUNKY PROJECTS HAS CREATED A PROPHETIC AND IN-DEPTH STUDY OF A POST HUMAN, POST HUMAN, POST APOCOLYPTIC SOCIETY.
'THE FOUND' EXPLORES THE CULTURE, CUSTOMS, CRAFT AND ARTIFACTS OF WHATEVER IT IS THAT LIVES ON AFTER EVERY LIVING THING WE EVER KNEW HAS WITHERED AND GONE.
ARMIES WILL RISE
CITIES WILL FALL
JUNK WILL REMAIN
CHRYSALISM LAUNCH
OPENING 19TH FEBRUARY (OPENING NIGHT GUESTS MUST RSVP) 6-9PM
SHOWING 20TH FEBRUARY - 25TH FEBRUARY 2016
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DARK HORSE EXPERIMENT WILL BE PRESENTING A EXCITING NEW COLLABORATION FROM EMERGING DESIGNERS S.RUSH AND CURIOS BIRDY AS PART OF VIRGIN AUSTRALIA MELBOURNE FASHION FESTIVAL 2016.
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EMBRACE RAINY DAYS THIS AW16 AT THE CHRYSALISM POP UP SHOW TO BE LAUNCHED ON THE 19TH OF FEBRUARY AS PART OF THE VAMFF OFFSITE RUNWAY SERIES 2016. THE DEBUT COLLABORATION FROM S.RUSH AND CURIOUS BIRDY IS A COLLECTION OF CONTEMPORARY STREET WEAR AND RAIN PROOF ACCESSORIES WITH A NOSTALGIC TWIST. UNITED BY A LOVE OF WHIMSY, SMALL QUIRKS AND INTRICATE DETAILS, THE PAIR TRANSFORM THE ORDINARY INTO THE EXTRAORDINARY, CREATING WEARABLE STATEMENT PIECES TO STEP OUT IN.
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CURIOUS BIRDY'S SIMPLE SILHOUETTES AND CLASSIC SHAPES ALLOW A FOCUS ON TEXTURE AND CONTRAST TO SHINE THROUGH. PLAYFUL PASTEL HUES, RUFFLES AND A DREAMY CLOUD PRINT ADD A SOFT FEMININITY TO MODERN FRAYED DENIM AND SMOOTH, HEAVY JERSEY. THESE PIECES ARE SHOWN OFF BENEATH GLOSSY, TRANSPARENT RAIN PROOF ACCESSORIES FROM S.RUSH. CLASSIC FAIRY TALE INSPIRED SHAPES ARE DRAINED OF COLOUR AND FILLED WITH LOOSE GLITTER, SHIFTING THE FOCUS AWAY FROM THE DREARY WEATHER.
