mike singe

fixation

16 august - 14 september 2019

Despite his interest in the subject of climate change Singe is quick to point out that it would be inaccurate to label his art practice as environmentally responsible.

Rather than drawing inspiration from the field of legitimate climate science, his practice is informed by the evolving culture and language that has developed in response to this looming environmental disaster. He is particularly fascinated by the DIY eco inventions that pervade the internet, the seemingly endless websites and YouTube videos that feature backyard environmental warriors espousing their low cost, labour intensive and inevitably inefficient climate change solutions. While these dubious inventions fail to provide practical environmental solutions, they offer their creators a flawed outlet for relieving the guilt of their ongoing global warming complicity.

For Fixation Mike Singe presents new works from an ongoing series of environmentally dubious carbon capture and storage drawings. Made by applying candle soot onto the drawing surface, capturing carbon that would otherwise combine with oxygen in the combustion process to form carbon dioxide, the works in this exhibition highlight the fallacy of industrial carbon fixation by linking it to Singe's own impotent attempts to overcome the environmental impact of his art practice. These drawings depict ideas around successful and perhaps not so successful adaption to the inevitable future changes in climate. An ongoing interest in the carbon enrichment process of animal respiration, particularly human respiration, also informs these drawings.

For Fixation, Singe will also premiere two works from his new series No More Free Art. Taking the form of display cabinets these works introduce pay per view capabilities by integrating coin operated mechanisms, requiring a dollar coin be inserted to facilitate a thirty second viewing of the contained artwork. While these cabinets are unlikely to be a practical revenue raising device, they challenge the viewer to consider how they financially contribute to their personal cultural consumption.

Mike Singe
August 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

mike singe artwork
failed adapter: 46 minute carbon capture + storage
impure carbon [soot] on plywood
30 x 65cm
2017
$2,000
mike singe artwork
failed adapter: 33 minute carbon capture + storage
impure carbon [soot] on plywood
27 x 27cm
2017
$1,200
mike singe artwork
failed adapter: 38 minute carbon capture + storage
impure carbon [soot] on plywood
40 x 45cm
2018
$1,700
mike singe artwork
failed adapter: 81 minute carbon capture + storage
impure carbon [soot] on plywood
57 x 88cm
2018
$2,800
mike singe artwork
failed adapter: 86 minute carbon capture + storage
impure carbon [soot] on plywood
86 x 58cm
2018
$2,800
mike singe artwork
failed adapter: 93 minute carbon capture + storage
impure carbon [soot] on plywood
40 x 75cm
2017
$2,200
mike singe artwork
corvus celebrates 400ppm: 44 minute carbon capture + storage
impure carbon [soot] on plywood
70 x 56cm
2017
$2,500
mike singe artwork
corvus [albino] celebrates 400ppm: 46 minute carbon capture + storage
impure carbon [soot] on plywood
70 x 56cm
2017
$2,500
mike singe artwork
rhinella celebrates 400ppm: 40 minute carbon capture + storage
impure carbon [soot] on plywood
40 x 58cm
2017
$1,900
mike singe artwork
hyperventilate: 94 minute carbon fixation
soot, picture varnish on plywood
91 x 61cm
2019
$2,800 sold
mike singe artwork
hyperventilate: 145 minute carbon capture + storage
impure carbon [soot] on plywood
58 x 82cm
2018
$2,700 sold
mike singe artwork
hyperventilate: 47 minute carbon fixation
soot, picture varnish on acrylic
49 x 37cm
2018
$1,700 sold
mike singe artwork
failed adapter: 37 minute carbon capture + storage
impure carbon [soot] on plywood
27 x 27cm
2017
$1,200 [excluding cabinet]
mike singe artwork
failed adapter: 31 minute carbon capture + storage
impure carbon [soot] on plywood
27 x 27cm
2017
$1,200 sold
mike singe artwork
hyperventilate: 41 minute carbon capture + storage
soot, picture varnish on acrylic
25 x 32cm
2018
$1,300 sold