stuart elliott

transitions:
A deliberation on entropy and evolution

25 february - 26 march 2011

Stuart’s new body of work explores the evolution of a primary product, grass [or the more technically correct term graminoid and it’s true grass family members; grains/cereals] to a perceived transitional end: the layered cake.

Transitions can also be read as a metaphor for the many extreme transitions found in contemporary life. Stuart gives the examples of track to freeway, hut to high-rise, sage to celebrity, real-time friendship to Face Book, or grass to layered cake.

In this exhibition Stuart again combines painting and sculpture to create a cohesive scenario for his prodigious imagination. Sections of layered cake, like rococo edifices, are adorned with a variety of skins, from painted patterns to metal cladding and spikes. They both attract and repel. Also featured are the factories that churn out these non-nutritional absurdities. As Stuart notes in his artist statement, we seem to have a “seemingly unquenchable need to manufacture and refine in a world already staggering under the volume of previously manufactured bounties… The cake, particularly the layered, flavoured, iced and sectioned cake is at the opposite end of the grass scale. Expertly developed, carefully prepared and constructed with considerable investment of human time and energy, layered cake has, at its best, a drastically short life expectancy.”

The layered cake is also noted for its metaphorical potency, its ties to celebratory events such as weddings, anniversaries and birthdays. The triumphant cake usually takes centre stage for a time and is captured in commemorative photographs for years to come. The discordant contrast of grubby nineteenth century factories spewing out festive cakes makes Stuart’s artworks quite memorable, and unique. Beautifully painted, or sculpted (and painted), Stuart draws us in to his fantasy worlds, and makes us question ours.

Stuart is also a well known, and loved, local visual arts lecturer, curator and writer. His contribution to the arts in Western Australia was formally acknowledged last year when Artsource presented him with the prestigious Life Time Achievement Award for Visual Arts. This is not to imply that Stuart is anywhere near the end of his artistic career, but he is definitely one of Perth’s most important senior artists. He was awarded a Creative Development Fellowship in 2005 by the Department of Culture and the Arts, and the number of group exhibitions he has been included in since 1976 is simply astounding! His solo exhibitions now number 18 and many important collections house his artworks, including the Art Gallery of WA, Sanyi Museum Taiwan ROC, Curtin University of Technology, University of WA, Murdoch University, Edith Cowan University, WA School of Art & Design, Alexander Library, City of Bunbury, Mundaring Shire, City of Wanneroo, City of Perth, Royal Perth Hospital, BankWest, Kerry Stokes Collection (Australian Capital Equity), L&L Horn Collection, Holmes a Court Collection, Bernadt Collection and many other private collections in Australia, Netherlands, Britain and USA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lindsay reactor III shaped + painted wood 39 x 26 x 42cm 2011 $1,700 sold
redundant bounty I oil on board 28 x 38cm 2010 $900 sold	diablo field oil on board 28 x 39.5cm 2010 $900
cake walkers II oil on board 26 x 38cm 2011 $850 sold	que'que gruppen oil on board 28.5 x 38cm 2010 $900
standown I oil on board 28 x 38cm 2011 $900 sold	cake stack I oil on board 27.5 x 38cm 2010 $900 sold
minimalist spectacle oil on board 36 x 22cm [x3] 2011 $2,100
bacon cake oil on board 32.5 x 48cm 2010 $900	cake walkers I oil on board 25.5 x 38cm 2011 $850 sold
reactor + storm oil on board 28 x 38cm 2010 $900	statistic oil on board 46.5 x 39.5 + 66 x 35.5cm [x2] 2011 $2,700
cake walkers III oil on board 28 x 50.5cm 2011 $1,100	redundant bounty II oil on board 28 x 38cm 2010 $900 sold
cake park oil on board 77 x 137cm 2011 $5,500
the leaving oil on board 32.5 x 48cm 2010 $900 sold	content oil on board 40 x 47cm 2010 $1,200 sold
cake stack II oil on board 36.5 x 47cm 2011 $1,200	reduntant bounty IV shaped + painted wood 32 x 34 x 40cm 2011 $1,800 sold
tunguska cakes oil on board 36.5 x 97cm 2010 $2,400 sold to turner galleries art angels
nostromik shaped + painted wood 31 x 22 x 66cm 2011 $1,800	merit cake jute, painted ceramic 17 x 11 x 19cm 2011 $950
redundant bounty III oil on board 77 x 137cm 2011 $5,500 sold
cult cake copper/steel jacketed on wooden form 18 x 12 x 33cm 2010 $1,200 sold	ray cake II ceramic interior with steel tines 19 x 11 x 30cm 2011 $950
difficult cake wire form + cake knife 18 x 13 x 23cm + 5 x 6 x 43cm 2010 $850	ray cake I ceramic form with steel spikes, ply base 19 x 11 x 30cm 2011 $950
cake walkers IV oil on board 77 x 137cm 2011 $5,500
lindsay reactor II painted wood, glass varied 2010 $5,500 sold	nest wood, bitumen, fabric, plaster varied 2011 $6,600
redundant bounty IV edition of 5 hand coloured etching in collaboration with susan starcken 20 x 45cm 2011 $950
harbinger 3 oil on board 30.5 x 50.5cm 2010 $900	cake bier wood, cotton 41 x 34 x 70cm 2010 $4,400 sold
standown III edition of 5 hand coloured etching in collaboration with susan starcken 20 x 45cm 2011 $950
rodriguez cakes painted/varnished pressed moulded ceramic 12 x 11 x 26cm [x3] 2011 $2,400
standown II oil on board 101 x 47cm 2010 $2,600 sold