From Sharne Wolff…
The brand M.M.P.G. may sound like it’s more suited to a firm of accountants but it’s actually the name of one of Sydney’s newest art projects. Run by Mild Manners’ Matt Rabbidge, curator-about-town and ex-manager of Brisbane’s long running Nine Lives art initiative, the first exhibition in this not-too-temporary space comes from artist Trent Whitehead. Whitehead’s graphic work is a familiar presence in the pages of numerous hip magazines including Yen, Oyster and Monster Children while his designs for tee prints, yardages and typography are well known in style circles. Having exhibited previously with artists including Mark Whalen (Kill Pixie), Anthony Lister and Ben Frost, Whitehead is hosting his first show in a while, following a break from this alternative side to his practice.
The aptly titled If Not Now, When includes a series of paintings and sculptures. In colourful tribal-meets-street style, Whitehead’s series of odd mask-like portraits float in strange landscapes or in space. Requiring intricate mark making, the paintings reflect a divergence of ideas from the artist’s encounters with people, plants and animals in everyday life. Displaying his versatility, a series of endearingly comic sculptures are hand carved by Whitehead from layers of plywood before being machined to a smooth finish.
Until October 12
Mild Manners Project Gallery (M.M.P.G.), Surry Hills
Pic: Trent Whitehead Road Night, 2014, acrylic and Gouache on board, 43cm x 47cm.Courtesy the artist and M.M.P.G.
