‘Dreamweavers’, a Gippsland Art Gallery and NETS Victoria touring exhibition, is arguably the most theatrical and entrancing exhibition ever to visit Ararat. ‘Dreamweavers’ is curated by Simon Gregg from the Gippsland Art Gallery - a dynamic curator who has enjoyed considerable success with his recent Nicholas Chevalier and William Delafield Cook exhibitions and his ‘New Romantics’ book which explores the re-emergence of romanticism in contemporary Australian art.
Simon visited Ararat to oversee the installation of his ambitious ‘Dreamweavers’ exhibition, which includes a complex and monumental installation by British artist, Sam Spenser. New media artist Joel Zika (pictured) also visited Ararat to formally open ‘Dreamweavers’ on Saturday 3 November 2012..
Joel is a Hobart-born, Melbourne-based artist who is represented in ‘Dreamweavers’ with four large photographs presented in a light box format. Joel’s photographs are produced using computer generated imagery (CGI). His images are colourful, yet evoke a haunting air of mystery and foreboding which is further highlighted through the presentation of his images in light boxes. In the exhibition, Joel’s work is described as ‘...garish and highly surreal...combining... the bizarre baroque of Surrealism with a spine-tingling mastery of CGI.’
At the opening, Joel spoke about his work which explores the idea of the abandoned theme park and its representation in popular culture. He also discussed the work of the other artists featured in ‘Dreamweavers’, and reflected on curator Simon Gregg’s vision for the show and his desire to create a journey that challenged audience expectations of the gallery experience.
For more about 'Dreamweavers' see this link to an episode of ABC TV's Art Nation: www.abc.net.au/arts/stories/s3319649.htm
'Dreamweavers' is also profiled on the NETS Victoria website: http://netsvictoria.org.au/dreamweavers/
'Dreamweavers' is at Ararat Regional Art Gallery until 20 January 2013.
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