Bundoora Homestead Art Centre in collaboration with guest curator Jeremy Gales is proud to present an exhibition exploring the contemporary aspects of the abstract genre of Formalism from 5 May until 18 June 2017. The exhibition titled Group Formalism will feature eight artists: Peter Adsett, Craig Easton, Denise Green, PJ Hickman, Robin Kingston, Aaron Martin, Antonia Sellbach and Peter Summers. This will be the first time these artists have exhibited in a group show together with at least half of the participating artists creating new work specifically for the exhibition.
Formalism is an aesthetic movement that can be traced back to the late eighteenth century. The term was not used officially until post-1940 when it described a genre of the abstract movement. The basic idea of Formalism is that the shape, depth and width of a work of art are the forefront aspects as opposed to meaning, ideas and artists’ intention for the work. This viewpoint was expounded and critically examined mainly throughout artistic practice and literary critique of the mid to late twentieth century. Formalism in a contemporary sense acknowledges that form is a facet of any work of art and will work in conjunction with other factors which underpin the work. In this exhibition, the artists explore the historical and contemporary issues surrounding Formalism.
The scope of the works are diverse, ranging from painting to installation and investigate the role of colour, sound, symbolism in contemporary Australian non-objective art. The artists participating in the show have exhibited extensively both domestically and internationally. Group Formalism is a refreshing look at eight mid-career abstract artists displaying work in the environs of a historical Australian building.
IMAGE:
Craig Easton | Painting Language (detail) 2016
Acrylic, LED aluminium | 20 x 32 x 5 cm
Courtesy of the artist