Environmental issues and mans impact on the earth is a constant theme for Adelaide Hills, Australia artist Chris Wake. Her latest exhibition, opening at Amelia Johnston Contemporary, Hong Kong, from April 21 through May 5, 2009, plays with this idea. As flood waters are rising and forest are shrinking at rapid rates, Zebras come to the rescue of eclectic karaoke Queens, goats rescue divas in distress and panda bears try to table their concerns. Chris Wake has been a Premiere Portfolio Artist at absolutearts.com since 2008.
The effect is disturbing but captivating, drawing in the viewer. Characters have Nolanesque eyes that follow the viewer, or look sideways in unease, alarm or guilt. Tilted heads turn away from each other creating a sense of avoidance and denial over our global green house issues, whilst the animals they are endangering are almost forgiving, coming to their rescue.
These large oils on canvas exude a kind of wild energy, as if the characters are caught in a high wind. The fish eye perspective, the twisted glasses and bottles and fluid body shapes are reminiscent of Chagall. Jugglersí balls, a flying dog, a red dress, bring bright spots of colour to paintings that are otherwise rendered in neutral greys and browns.
In 2003 Wake produced a Ned Kelly series that featured alongside Sydney Nolan works in a theatre production at the New Zealand Festival of Arts. In her current series she prefers to stimulate the viewer to generate an opinion on current global warming issues and mans responsibility as the most educated animal in this momentous disaster.
The paintings seem to have a curious story to tell ñ the animals are saving their subjects from rising water levels as a result of global warming. Will the victums be relocated to higher ground or perhaps the animals would prefer to fling man into outer space and reclaim their territory? Or are the animals coming to the rescue and taking the dominant stand and retraining their human refugees in the simple requirement of survival, only take what is needed.
Zebra rescues karaoke queen; despite her home being flooded the Karaoke queen is still hopeful she can plug in her amplifier and microphone wherever the Zebra is taking her, not thinking twice about the electricity source and the impact on the earth for its production.
Extreme Diva riding a goat, is also taking what is precious to her, she is oblivious as to where she is going and will be devastated when she realizes there is no power for the unnecessary hairdryer.
The panda bear is trying to draw the attention of board meeting to table the devastation and impact of rapidly shrinking forests leading to the extinction or many species but the chairman is indisposed in a rendition of I did it my way.
Hairdryers and other odd objects like toasters which often appear in the corners of Wakeís paintings are, she says, ... intended as environmental messages. Its a statement about the environment and how our choices to use these items have an effect on the environment we live in.
What has taken the earth to form over millions of years, sandwiched between layers of rock, has taken man only a few hundred years to drill up, pumping out quadrillions of BTUs (a measurement for polluting omissions from manufacturing ñ British Thermal Unit) into the atmosphere. There must be a serious consequence to our planet that cannot be ignored any longer. Is miraculous harmony beyond the reach of humans?
Imagine if $500 billion USD was spent on developing green energy over that past four years instead of war.
Georgie Bruce
Curator
Southern Exchange
Chris Wake states,As I stand at my easel trying to work in my studio which by 2pm is very hot I am reminded why I am painting this exhibition. The temperature has been over 40 degrees for 10 days in a row, the plants are burnt and dying, the birds are standing on the ground
View more artwork by Chris Wake in her Portfolio at absolutearts.com http://www.absolutearts.com/artcw
IMAGE
Artist: Chris Wake
Title: Extreme Diva Riding a Goat
Year Created: 2008
Medium: Oil Painting
Width: 30 inches
Height: 35 inches
Price: US$ 4,500
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