LINTON  MEAGHER  THAT’S  GROUSE!  THE  BRITISH  SHOW  

 

 

                 

   

 PRESENTS  

LINTON  MEAGHER    

THAT’S  GROUSE!    THE  BRITISH  SHOW  

 An  Exhibition  of  Cross-­‐media  Sculptures  

 May  22-­‐27th  2012  

 Gallery  8  

8  Duke  Street  St  James’s  

London  SW1Y  6BN    

www.comodaa.com  

     

 

 

LINTON  MEAGHER    Sydney-­‐born  artist  Linton  Meagher’s  work  explores  the  ways  that  various  disparate  objects  can  be  taken  out  of  their  usual  context  and  presented  in  a  way  that  challenges  the  viewer  to  question  their  wider  meaning  in  society.    Repellent  objects,  such  as  shotgun  cartridges,  bullets  or  surgical  scalpels,  become  objects  of  beauty.    The  repetition  of  these  objects  allows  for  the  creation  of  images  that  are  often  at  odds  with  the  meaning  of  the  original  object.        Meagher’s  work  has  evolved  from  traditional  oil  on  canvas  works  to  semi-­‐sculptural,  mixed  media  works  using  resin  and  Perspex.    The  viewer  can  see  through  the  clear  Perspex  backing  of  the  works  to  the  wall  behind,  which  gives  the  impression  that  the  objects  are  floating  in  space  and  allows  for  a  delicate  play  of  light  and  shadow  on  the  artwork.  By  casting  mass-­‐produced  items  in  resin,  such  as  lipsticks,   his   work   continues   the   exploration   of   consumerism   and   the   impermanence   of   time   by  earlier   artists,   such   as  Arman.  Meagher’s   inclusion   in   the   2011  Young   Guns   exhibition   in   London  included  a  work  made   from   thousands  of   still-­‐ticking  waterproof  watches   cast   in   resin,   each  one  stopping  randomly  therefore  evolving  the  artwork.        Meagher  completed  a  BA  degree  in  Fine  Arts  at  The  University  of  Sydney  and  further  studies  at  the  renowned   Julian  Ashton  School  of  Art,   Sydney,   although  his   training   in  medicine  and   subsequent  Masters  of  Neuropsychology  provided  further  inspiration  for  his  art.  He  has  had  several  successful  solo  and  group  exhibitions  since  2005  in  both  Australia  and  Hong  Kong.  His  work  is  in  many  private  collections   internationally   and   corporate   commissions   include   pieces   for   Blackmores   and   The  World  Health  Organisation.    “That’s  Grouse!”  is  a  colloquial  Australian  expression  that  refers  to  something  being  really  great  or  fantastic.     The   exhibition   is   also   titled   “The   British   Show”,   since   British   cultural   traditions   and  iconography  are  a  key   focus  of   the  exhibition.    For  example,   the   tradition  of   shooting   is  explored  using   shotgun  cartridges  and  pellets.     An  additional   focus   in   the   show   is  on   contemporary   issues  that   are   equally   relevant   in   Australia,   such   as   gun   control   and   the   influence   of   the   US   on   gang  culture.    Finally,  the  show  references  British  pop  cultural  images,  the  impermanence  of  beauty  and  society’s  pre-­‐occupation  with  icons  of  beauty,  such  as  Kate  Moss.    Discussion  of  the  Grouse  and  Pheasant  works    These  works  are  playful  and  visually  striking.  Hundreds  of  shotgun  cartridges  and  shotgun  pellets  are  all  cast  in  resin.    However,  beyond  the  mere  aesthetic  appeal,  these  works  force  the  viewer  to  reflect  on  the   tradition  of   the  shoot:   it’s  meaning   in  contemporary  society  and   its  role   in  defining  social  status.    Are  younger  generations  clinging  tighter  to  traditions  in  the  face  of  anxiety  about  the  rapid  change  to  the  status  quo  in  Europe?     The  grouse  and  pheasant  works  are  also  a  modern  reflection  on  the  practice  of  taxidermy.  As  Meagher  explains:    “Taxidermists   strive   to   cover   up   the   means   and   act   of   death,   traditionally   portraying   the   pheasant  looking  shiny  and  attractive  at  the  height  of  its  beauty.  With  the  shotgun  cartridge  works,  the  beauty  of  the  works  initially  seduces  the  viewer.  Like  the  feathers  on  a  stuffed  trophy  pheasant,  the  shells  are  shiny  and  glisten  in  the  light.  However,  it  is  hard  to  look  past  the  act  of  death  implied  by  all  the  empty  cartridges.   Some   of   the   cartridges   are   coloured   by   gunpowder   and   dirt   from   the   field.   Hence,   the  viewer  is  prompted  to  wonder  as  to  what  animal  or  object  was  shot  with  these  cartridges.”  

 

Discussion  of  the  Bullet  works    The  titles  of  the  bullet  gun  works  come  from  the  song  ‘Miuzi  Weighs  A  Ton’  by  Public  Enemy  (1999).  In  this  song,  the  Uzi  becomes  a  metaphor  for  the  power  of  rap  to  communicate.  To  quote  the  song:    “Accused  of  assault   -­‐  a  1st  degree  crime,  Cause   I  beat  competitors  with  my  rhyme,  Tongue  whipped,  pushed,  shoved  and  tripped…”      The   Uzi   artworks,   made   from   thousands   of   empty   bullet   casings   are   also   more   than   simply   a  depiction  of  a  weapon.  The  Uzi  is  a  metaphor  for  power  and  notoriety.  The  Uzi  has  become  almost  something  of  an  accessory  in  some  sub-­‐cultures.  In  the  same  way  that  the  lipstick  works  project  the  feminine,  the  Uzi  projects  masculinity  and  one-­‐upmanship  in  the  face  of  the  forces  of  gun  control.    Regarding  the  use  of  the  bullet  casings,  Meagher  explains:    “Individually,  these  bullet  casings  are  cold  and  repellent,  but  when  thousands  are  collectively  arranged  and  cast  in  resin  they  become  objects  of  beauty.  The  bullet  shells  when  viewed  from  afar  confront  the  viewer  with  a  shimmering  sea  of  gold  that  lends  these  works  a  rich  Rococo  feel”.   Discussion  of  the  Lipstick  works      These   works   are   made   from   thousands   of   imitation   lipsticks   cast   in   resin.   The   lipsticks   are   all  screwed  out  to  different  heights,  thereby  making  up  the  shape  of  lips  when  the  work  is  viewed  from  the   side.   These   lipstick  works   reference   iconic   and   very   British   pop   cultural   images,   bringing   to  mind  the  Rolling  Stones  as  well  as  defining  moments  in  gender  politics  throughout  the  evolution  of  lipstick.     In   fact,   in  1770  a  British   law  was  proposed   to   the  Parliament   that  a  marriage  should  be  annulled  if  the  woman  wore  cosmetics  before  her  wedding  day!    The   lipsticks   laid   out   en   masse   force   the   viewer   to   ponder   the   forces   of   consumerism   and   our  obsession  with  the  ideal  of  beauty  –  an  ideal  that  can  often  only  be  achieved,  at  considerable  cost,  by  altering  or  enhancing  the  natural  colour  of  the  lips.     Discussion  of  the  Surgical  Scalpel  works      Meagher   has   been   an   artist   longer   than  he   has   been   a   doctor,   but   he   draws   inspiration   from  his  medical  pursuits  as  building  blocks   for  his  art.  His  semi-­‐sculptural  mosaic  works  explore  the  way  that  objects,  such  as  surgical  scalpels,  can  be  taken  out  of  their  usual  context  and  presented  in  a  way  that   challenges   the   viewer   to   question   their   wider   meaning   in   society.   For   example,   images   of  classical   nudes   created   from   thousands   of   surgical   scalpels   draw   attention   to   the   role   of   plastic  surgery  in  the  ‘creation’  of  beauty  in  the  modern  world.      “What  I  am  exploring  in  these  art  works  are  notions  of  beauty  and  the  role  of  medicine  and  the  health  care   industry   in   augmenting   appearances   and   defining   notions   of   perfection”  Meagher   said.   “I   was  intrigued  by  the  cold  and  clinical  forms  of  the  scalpels  and  pills  that  I  saw  everyday  at  the  hospital  and  I   wondered   how   they   would   look   when   shown   in   a   completely   different   context.   The   pills   and   the  scalpels   are   quite   repellent   individually   but,   collectively,   they   can   be   transformed   into   objects   of  beauty”.        These  works  are  literally  painstaking  and  can  take  months  to  complete.  However,  it  is  the  dynamic  and  flowing  nature  of  the  images  that  contrasts  with  the  painstaking  nature  of  their  creation  that  makes  them  so  intriguing.

 

   

 

           

Last  Drive  of  the  Day  1,  2012      Shotgun  cartridges,  pellets,  resin,  Perspex      120  x  92cm  

 

       

  Last  Drive  of  the  Day  2,  2012      Shotgun  cartridges,  pellets,  resin,  Perspex      120  x  92cm      

   

 

   

 

   

The  Glorious  Twelfth,  2012      Shotgun  cartridges,  pellets,  resin,  Perspex      126  x  62cm  

 

           

   Driven,  2012      Oil  on  empty  bullet  casings,  resin,  Perspex    112  x  70cm  

 

    The  Famous  Grouse  1,  2012      Shotgun  cartridges,  pellets,  resin,  Perspex      122  x  99cm                  

 

     

 The  Famous  Grouse  2,  2012      Shotgun  cartridges,  pellets,  resin,  Perspex      122  x  99cm    

           

 

   

    Just  Out  of  the  Pool,  2012       Oil  on  surgical  scalpel  blades,  resin,  Perspex       64  x  82cm    

   

 

   

 

   Kate  (after  B.Adams),  2012      Oil  on  surgical  scalpel  blades,  resin,  Perspex      64  x  82cm    

   

 

     One  That  Got  Away,  2012      Shotgun  cartridges,  pellets,  resin,  Perspex    115  x  88cm      

 

     A  Fine  Pair  of  Over  &  Unders,  2012      Shotgun  cartridges,  bullet  casings,  resin  Perspex      115  x  15cm      

 

     My  Uzi  Weighs  a  Tonne  1,  2012      Empty  bullet  casings,  resin,  Perspex      115  x  96cm      

 

   My  Uzi  Weighs  a  Tonne  2,  2012      Empty  bullet  casings,  resin,  Perspex      115  x  96cm      

 

               Baton  Rouge,  2012      Imitation  lipsticks,  resin,  Perspex      115  x  62cm        

 

     Luscious,  2012      Imitation  lipsticks,  resin,  Perspex      110  x  75cm          

 

     Femme  Fatale,  2012      Imitation  lipsticks,  resin,  Perspex      107  x  75cm                              

 

 Linton  Meagher:  Biography

 

     Born  in  Sydney  in  1975.  Currently  lives  and  works  in  Sydney,  Australia.    Art  education  and  training    Linton  Meagher  studied  art  at  the  Julian  Ashton  School,  Sydney,  and  at  the  University  of  Sydney,  

completing  a  Bachelor  of  Arts,  majoring  in  Fine  Arts,  in  1996.    

 Solo  exhibitions    2012   That’s  Grouse:  The  British  Show.  COMODAA  Gallery,  London  

2011   Luminescence.  Maunsell  Wickes  at  Barry  Stern  Galleries,  Sydney    

2009   Countdown.  The  Cat  Street  Gallery,  Hong  Kong    

2009   Taubman:  Hong  Kong  Luxury  Fashion  Week.    

2008   Resinate.  Maunsell  Wickes  at  Barry  Stern  Galleries,  Sydney      

2005   Encapsulations.  The  Blank_Space  gallery,  Sydney    

 Group  exhibitions    2011     -­‐  Young  Guns  Summer  show.  COMODAA,  London  

2011     -­‐  “Wattle”,  The  Space,  Hong  Kong  

2010   -­‐  Singapore  Art  Fair  (The  Cat  Street  Gallery)  

2010     -­‐  Hong  Kong  Art  Fair  (The  Cat  Street  Gallery)  

2009     -­‐  The  Cat  Street  Gallery,  Hong  Kong  

2009   -­‐  Maunsell  Wickes  at  Barry  Stern  Galleries,  Sydney  

2008   -­‐  Maunsell  Wickes  at  Barry  Stern  Galleries,  Sydney    

2007   -­‐  Maunsell  Wickes  at  Barry  Stern  Galleries,  Sydney  

 

1999   -­‐  Ten  Young  Artists.  Sheraton  On  The  Park  Hotel  Exhibition,  Sydney    

1998   -­‐  Ten  Young  Artists.  Sheraton  On  The  Park  Hotel  Exhibition,  Sydney  

1997   -­‐  Global  Arts  Factory,  Sydney    

1995   -­‐  Tin  Sheds  Gallery,  Sydney      

 Commissions      2009  –  Blackmores,  Sydney        Corporate  collections    The  World  Health  Organisation    

Blackmores,  Sydney  

Xenos,  Sydney  

T.  &  C.  Business  Consulting,  Sydney  

 Private  collections    Meagher’s  work  is  held  in  numerous  private  collections  throughout  Australia,  Hong  Kong,  Paris  and  

London.  

   Reviews/  Publications    -­‐  “Wattle:  Australian  Contemporary  Art”.  2011.  Catalogue  and  essay  by  Kate  Bryan    

 

-­‐  Room2Room  Magazine:  “Art  &  About:  Australia’s  most  up  and  coming  artists”  by    Mitchell  Oakley.  

2008,  p.9  

 

-­‐  Time  Out  (Sydney):  “Cutting  edge  art  slashes  out”  -­‐  Profile  by  Nick  Dent.  2008,  Issue  40,  August  13-­‐

19,  p45    

 

-­‐  Australian  Art  Review  2008    

-­‐  Sydney  Morning  Herald.  “Pain  killing  art”  by  Samantha  Selinger-­‐Morris.  19/7/2005  

 

             

 

   

ABOUT  COMODAA    

  Launched   in   early   2009,   COMODAA   (Contemporary   Modern   Australian   Art)   was   established   to  promote   and   exhibit   Australian   art   to   a   wider   international   audience   and   give   talented  contemporary  artists  new  exposure.  Our  mission  is  to  present  and  promote  serious  contemporary  Australian  art  by  a  select,  collectable  and  highly  respected  group  of  innovative  artists.      COMODAA  is  a  privately  owned  independent  art  business  that  is  not  tied  to  any  other  gallery,  dealer  or  auction  house.  This  enables  greater  flexibility  with  a  personal  bespoke  service  on  offer.      Founder  and  Director  of  COMODAA,  Jonathan  White,  moved  to  Australia  in  early  2001  and  has  lived  in  both  Melbourne  and  Sydney.  He  has  worked  in  the  Australian  art  market  for  the  past  10  years,  as  a   gallery   director,   curator   to   exhibitions   in   Australia,   Asia   and   Europe,   and   consultant,   advising  private   and   public   collections   including   The   Australian   Museum   and   MCA   (Museum   of  Contemporary  Art).    Through  a   regular   exhibition   schedule   that   started   in   September  2009  COMODAA  will   undertake  various   solo   and   group   exhibitions   in   London   and  Europe   to   showcase   and   promote   the   current  contemporary  artists  of  Australia.      As   well   as   regular   exhibitions   and   art   fairs   COMODAA’s   primary   home   will   be   its   website,  www.comodaa.com   .   Visitors   to   the   site   are   able   to   view   artworks,   find   out   about   current     &  upcoming  exhibitions  and  read  the  latest  news  on  COMODAA  artists.      One  of  the  main  benefits  of  becoming  a  client  of  COMODAA  is  the  bespoke  advice  on  what  and  who  to  buy,  whether  it  is  for  a  collection  or  part  of  an  investment  portfolio.  Advice  is  also  available  for  art   portfolio   management.   Clients   of   COMODAA   can   also   obtain   guidance   on   framing,   shipping,  valuations,  cataloguing,  conservation  and  restoration.     Sourcing  art  is  one  of  COMODAA’s  main  strengths,  whether  it  is  from  Australia  or  other  parts  of  the  world.   We   have   worked   with   private   collections,   interior   designers,   film   and   TV   production  companies  and  architects  in  the  past,  sourcing  bespoke  artworks  for  themselves  and  their  clients.    COMODAA  has  facilities  in  place  to  allow  clients  to  purchase  artworks  by  way  of  payment  plans.    COMODAA  also  has  artworks  available  for  use  to  Interior  Designers  and  their  projects.    

 

GENEROUSLY  SUPPORTED  BY        

         

       

           

THE  ARBUTURIAN

 

CREDITS                        Editor:  Jonathan  White    Design:  COMODAA    Printing:  Print  Express  Corporate    Photography:  Provided  by  the  artist    Thank  you  to  the  supporters,  my  brother  Toby,  all  the  sub-­‐editors  and  spell  check.      Lastly  (not  least),  to  Marisa  for  her  continuous  encouragement  and  support.                    

             

 

 

   

                                           

   

www.comodaa.com  

www.comodaa.com