Projects
Couplings
Dominik Mersch Gallery
April 11 - May 12
Curated by Brad Buckley & Helen Hyatt-Johnston
The Bucket | 2015 | Abdul-Rahman Abdullah | stained wood, galvanised bucket
Snake | 2018 | Anna Louise Richardson | charcoal, black glitter
Vanessa Berry and Simon Yates, Vicky Browne and Locust Jones, Josie Cavallaro and Somchai Chareon, Tracey Clement and Peter Burgess, Lottie Consalvo and James Drinkwater, Suzy Faiz and Matthys Gerber, Adrienne Gaha and Tim Maguire, Helga Groves and Matthew Johnson, Dana Harris and Peter Atkins, Francesca Heinz and Sach Catts, Lisa Jones and Richard Glover, Hilarie Mais and William Wright, Sarah Newall and Jane Polkinghorne, Anna Louise Richardson and Abdul-Rahman Abdullah, Nike Savvas and Stephen Little, Tiffany Shafran and Kyle Jenkins, and Rachel Sherwood and Teo Treloar.
Couplings is a show about the private ‘pillow talk’ that goes on between artist couples, whether conscious or unconscious. By hanging or placing the works next to each other, the curators Helen Hyatt-Johnston and Brad Buckley explore how these conversations affect the work, even when it may not be obvious in their visual or conceptual approach. Drawing these threads between their practices makes us consider how the thoughts and processes shared by those that we are closest to can seep through and influence our own judgements.
Dominik Mersch Gallery will show the work of seventeen artist couples, looking at how this intimate exchange appears across generations, styles and mediums. What becomes apparent is that a surprising number of artists in Australia also have artist partners. Is it a case of like goes with like, or do opposites attract?