College of Fine Arts | The University of New South Wales - Sydney - Australia

Exhibition: <i>Reality Check - Watching Sylvania Waters</i> | The College of Fine Arts

Events


Exhibition: Reality Check - Watching Sylvania Waters

When:    Sat, 10 Oct, '09 - Sun, 29 Nov, '09
Where:   Hazelhurst Regional Art Gallery

John A. Douglas,<i> Ask Noeline..... (not the ogre)</i> 2009
John A. Douglas, Ask Noeline..... (not the ogre) 2009, pebblecrete and concrete pavers, artificial grass, inflatable plastic, polystyrene, HD pro res video, sound 8 meters squared (approx). Courtesy the artist and Chalk Horse, Sydney. Installation photo: Silversalt.

Reality Check: watching Sylvania Waters, an innovative exhibition inspired by the 1992 cult 'reality' TV series Sylvania Waters.
Two years in the making, the Daniel Mudie Cunningham curated exhibition Reality Check: watching Sylvania Waters examines the impact of the series through the work of 10 contemporary artists/ collectives who were commissioned to make new artworks that respond to Sylvania Waters. Artists included COFA graduates John A. Douglas and the Kingpins and Ms & Mr (Richard & Stephanie nova Milne) as well as Carla Cescon and Mitch
Cairns, Luis Martinez, David Lawrey and Jaki Middleton, Archie Moore, Holly Williams, Peter Cooley, and Elvis Richardson.
Each artist was invited to undertake a residency at Hazelhurst throughout 2009 to assist in the development of the work. To aid research, the ABC generously granted access to episodes of the series, as well as archival media material that included news and current affairs segments.
All commissioned artistic outcomes interpret Sylvania Waters from various perspectives and in ways that reveal how visual arts practice often blurs with popular forms of media and entertainment.
For artists John A. Douglas and The Kingpins, Noeline Donaher is an inspiration. Douglas's video artwork depicts Noeline fading in and out of swimming pool water, accompanied with sound edits that see her as a wise advice columnist. Art group The Kingpins present an inventive installation that sees Noeline as an exemplary alpha matriarch.
Artist collaboration Ms & Mr (Richard & Stephanie nova Milne) present a video featuring the Archibalds of Glebe, one of the families short-listed to star in what became Sylvania Waters.

What: Reality Check: watching Sylvania Waters
When: Saturday 10 October 2009 to Sunday 29 November 2009
Where: Hazelhurst Regional Art Gallery