CRAFT AND ACTIVISM
Unite
By Melissa Walsh
T
he Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery is constantly mixing it up with a diverse range of exhibitions and artists, and the upcoming "Craftivism. Dissident objects and subversive forms" is sure to impress.
The exhibition presents the work of 18 contemporary Australian artists who utilise craft-based materials with a political intent. Broadening our understanding of craft-making traditions, the artists in this exhibition subvert and extend these forms into the realm of activism and social change, reflecting on the world in which we live. Penny Byrne is one of the artists presenting her work in Craftivism, an exhibition that is a perfect fit for her work and philosophy.
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“The exhibition uses a craft-based practice to make art work that has a political statement,” said Ms Byrne, a visual artist who works in ceramic, glass, bronze and found materials to make artwork that is political while being humorous and engaging. “Craftivism is craft and activism and my work fits perfectly into that. Using craft based practice to make art work that has a political statement and something to say. The work in this show is called Europa Europa and I made it for my show in Berlin last year which was basically an installation in the gallery of hundreds of figurines wearing orange life jackets in cups, bowls and gravy boats trying to get to Europe any way they could.” continued next page...
April 2019