Now in its 23rd year, Hatched: National Graduate Show brings together the best works by the best artists emerging from the cocoon comprised of the various art schools, academies and training programs across the country. We spoke with South Australian artist, Zoe Kirkwood, ahead of the exhibition launch at PICA.
Although her Bachelor of Arts work at the University Of South Australia focused primarily on painting, when she returned after a two year break to do her Honours coursework, Zoe Kirkwood wanted to experiment with different media, drawing on creative experiences she’d had as a child.
“Yeah, my grandfather was a hobbyist furniture maker and I did some woodturning when I was little.” she explains to us. “My entire undergrad was done with painting, but last year I started doing different stuff. I grew up sailing and doing all kinds of crazy things and so I started doing things like woodturning and resin casting and stuff that I’d done when I was younger.”
The work she’s exhibiting at Hatched, The Neo-Baroque Spectacle, is also influenced by the 17th century Italian artist and architect, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who is credited with founding the Baroque school. “I’m presenting a large scale installation of painting and sculpture. It works on the idea of baroque excess and it’s basically using Bernini, who was a Baroque artist. I’m using his ideas in a contemporary take on the Bel Composto. It’s basically the idea of unifying art, architecture, painting, sculpture – this idea of unity.”
TRAVIS JOHNSON
PIC: The Neo-Baroque Spectacle – Zoe Kirkwood
Hatched: National Graduate Show runs at PICA from Saturday, May 10, until Sunday, June 29, with an opening night party on Friday, May 9, in the Perth Cultural Centre Amphitheatre, featuring music from RTR DJs.
More info here.
