There’s a Hole in the Sky

From Carrie Miller…

There’s a Hole in the Sky brings together an extraordinary mix of local and international artists around the theme of anxiety – a seemingly lifelong preoccupation of the show’s curator Tom Polo. The nine artists in the show at Campbelltown Arts Centre all engage head on with this uncomfortable psychological and emotional state which reveals the cruel paradox at the heart of creativity: anxiety is often both a necessary driver to the creative process and that which constantly threatens to paralyse the artist.

Ivan Argote, Aleks Danko, Urs Fischer, Naomi Oliver, Campbell Patterson, Stuart Ringholt, Giselle Stanborough, Lara Thoms and Michelle Ussher all articulate ideas and feelings about anxiety, unease and ways of coping in public and private moments through artistic practices that engage in extended acts of portraiture. Paris-based Argote is known for his video works which document his sometimes intensely awkward interactions with strangers in public spaces. Australian artist Stuart Ringholt is also known for his works with strangers in the public domain, including the amateur workshops he has conducted around specific emotions including anger and fear, as well as his nude tours of public museums.

Be warned: the work in this show is first-rate, so you may feel like a loser in comparison.

Until October 7
Campbelltown Arts Centre, Campbelltown
Pic: Courtesy the artist & Galerie Perrotin, Paris, Hong Kong.