Paintings of skeletal horses, poisonous caterpillars and fluorescent orange poodles form part of an exhibition that has just opened in Darwin.
The 10 works that comprise “Psychic Hairdo” are part of Charles Darwin University Lecturer in Studio Practice Dr Cornelius Delaney’s ongoing studio research, and were inspired by his arrival to Darwin 18 months ago.
“The colours and the light here are so bright it’s almost shocking,” Dr Delaney said. “I use a lot of rich, acidic colours in my paintings in response to that.”
Dr Delaney said the exhibition addressed the idea that the role of the artist was to prevent cultural stagnation by challenging socially accepted ideas, beliefs and values.
“Asking questions is more important than making statements,” he said.
“In this era, where capitalism and socially normative systems continue to reduce my options to an ever-diminishing range of uninteresting purchasing ‘choices’, the capacity for play, for ridiculousness, for absurdity, noise and laziness, for me, is symbolically central.”
Two CDU Creative Arts and Industries graduates are also holding exhibitions alongside that of Dr Delaney’s at 24HR Art.
Ian Hance’s “Wasted and Marginalised” and Rebecca Arbon’s “Subaqueous Knit” are also on show.
The exhibitions are at the 24HR Art gallery, Vimy Lane, Parap Shopping Village and will run until 9 March 2013. For more information visit W: www.24hrart.org.au.