Striking images of Ned Kelly, Mick Jagger and Neil Young, and works after Goya, are a taste of what’s on display in the UQ Art Museum’s latest exhibition.
Ricky Swallow: Watercolours opens at St Lucia on Friday, July 24, and shows a fresh side to the internationally renowned Australian artist.
“We are thrilled to be presenting the first exhibition and accompanying catalogue to focus entirely on this aspect of Swallow’s work,” UQ Art Museum Director Nick Mitzevich said.
“Ricky Swallow has developed a reputation internationally for his remarkable hand-carved sculpture, but drawing has always played a vital role in his practice.
“This exhibition will reveal just how startling and compelling his images in this medium are – whether they’re images of Mick Jagger as Ned Kelly, or of a deep-sea diver, a monkey piloting a spacecraft, or musicians like James Taylor or Neil Young, they stick in your mind.”
With Swallow’s assistance, curator Steven Alderton has assembled a selection of 80 watercolours and sketchbooks from Australian and international collections, providing a comprehensive insight into the artist’s key thematic areas.
Several of these are new works produced during a residency at the Linnaeus Estate, Byron Bay earlier this year.
“The Byron Bay residency was extremely productive for Ricky, and provided him with an opportunity to reflect on how he connected with Australia – producing, for instance, the Ned Kelly works and the Birds of Australia series,” Mr Alderton said.
Ricky Swallow won the Contempora 5 award in 1999, represented Australia at the 2005 Venice Biennale, and has exhibited in America, Europe, New Zealand and Japan.
Ricky Swallow: Watercolours is supported by Darren Knight Gallery, Sydney, and The Linnaeus Estate, Byron Bay.
The artist, who lives and works in Los Angeles, will be in Brisbane for the opening, and will take part in a free Exhibition Floor Talk with the curator on Saturday, July 25 at 11am.
Ricky Swallow: Watercolours is open free to the public until Sunday 27 September before touring to the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, New Zealand.
A fully illustrated catalogue featuring an interview with the artist, and an essay by Justin Paton, Senior Curator at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, is available for $39.95.
Media: Nick Mitzevich (3365 3046, n.mitzevich@uq.edu.au) or Cameron Pegg at UQ Communications (07 3365 2049, c.pegg@uq.edu.au)
** High resolution media images are available for download here
