Happy mayhem is the simplest way to describe last nights opening on the AUT campus and offsite. Complete with a crowd in the hundreds, DJ Ben Tankard (a Yam Jams representative) and enough work to make your brain squeak, the night was a pleasure as much as it was a success.

Before making it down to the main campus we followed a crew on home built bikes into the off-site postgraduate exhibition upstairs from Gordon Harris in Gallery 3.

Inside, a fluorescent green circular painting loomed over two multimedia projections like an electric moon. Below, the screens played images of slowly rotating and seemingly miscellaneous objects haloed in the same green. The effect: mesmerising and magical (an artist I simply know as Chris).

In juxtaposition, the only other work to share the space was an installation by Chloe King, a mess of cardboard and a supermarket trolley blaring a woman-to-woman interview onto Symonds St. This work dealt with the serious issues of violence and abuse of women, heavy in content, clear and visually concise. The two exhibiting artists later sparked a conversation as to whether an artists’ sex is prevalent/obvious through their work.

At the main campus the selection of painterly works caught my attention, namely the work of Phillip Good and Stellar Castle. The range of mediums and conceptual work was admirable and went over my head the first time I have to admit. Looks like I will have to go back for seconds!

Posted by Erin in Art

Tags: Art, AUT, graduate show