1 Olympic Gold Medallist and 14 International Artists dive into Mardi Gras
To coincide with the 2010 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, Smith & Hall Gallery in Redfern presents MATT DIVE GOLD, an exhibition dedicated to Australian diver Matt Mitcham (gold medal winner in the 10-metre platform event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics) and Chief-of-Parade at the 2009 Mardi Gras. Art meets sport in an unconventional exhibition curated by Jonathan Turner, featuring 14 acclaimed artists from 7 countries.Matt Mitcham, with the highest-scoring single dive in Olympic history (the now famous "Matt 10 Gold") thus becomes an unexpected icon for the different artists involved. Their portraits reflect on the figure of the diver and the act of intense concentration. Diving is one of the most highly aesthetic and artistically charged sports; it is a conceptual activity requiring focused thought and a considerable mental discipline.
Launched in Rome on the occasion of the 2009 World Championships, this travelling exhibition now arrives in Sydney at Smith & Hall Gallery in a brand new version, with recent works by Maree Azzopardi (Australia), Tom Bianchi (USA), Robert Gligorov (Macedonia), Renato Grome (UK/Italy), Fritz Kok (Netherlands), Matt Marello (USA), Francesca Marti (Spain), John McRae (Australia), Tracey Moffatt (Australia), Antonio Riello (Italy), Craig Ruddy (Australia), Antonio Pio Saracino (Italy/USA), Francesca Tulli (Italy) and William Yang (Australia).
The dynamic works span the mediums of sculpture, painting, drawing and film, ranging from Renato Grome's underwater photographs and a highly entertaining "dance" video choreographed by Matt Marello in New York. In his ongoing series of portraits, Sydney photographer John McRae captures the subtle changes from Mitcham as an uncertain youth to an Olympic champion. William Yang's documentary imagery reveals an honest intimacy, whereas a fictional, fairy-tale atmosphere emerges from Francesca Marti's film project, produced in her studio in Mallorca together with Mitcham in 2008, shortly after his gold-medal win in Beijing.
MATT DIVE GOLD also includes portraits of a non-traditional nature, including a gilded, textual work by Maree Azzopardi and an architectural project by award-winning New York-based designer Antonio Pio Saracino for an idyllic, harbourside villa accessed via a diving board, represented by a blueprint already featured in several international design magazines. Fritz Kok's re-interpretation of Mitcham as a super-human "fish-out-of-water" in the guise of a mermaid, (or as the "wrong" sort of diver wearing scuba gear, an aqualung or posed on a swimming block), is accompanied by a musical soundtrack recorded by the Dutch artist. From Italy, comes Francesca Tulli's bronze figure of the diver balanced in perfect equilibrium and Antonio Riello's surreal diving costume (based on Mitcham's actual Olympic attire), tailored from a fake, multi-national "Ikea tartan".
Planned over several years, this show at Smith & Hall Gallery includes portraits of Matt from 2007 till 2010, many created especially for this event, plus classical and iconic works on the theme of diving by Tom Bianchi, Tracey Moffatt and Robert Gligorov. Coincidentally, as a youth, photographer and video artist Gligorov was himself the Macedonian national diving champion.
As the first openly-gay male to ever win Olympic gold, and named Australian sportsman of the year, Mitcham is regularly in the spotlights. One day he’s on the cover of The China Daily newspaper and another, he’s on the front of American gay mag, The Advocate. An ever-changing role-model, Mitcham is currently competing as part of Rexona's Greatest Australian Athlete on Channel 7, and is appearing on Talking ‘Bout Your Generation on Channel 10 on March 7.
As a subject, the portrait remains valid, multi-faceted and often controversial. At a time when much attention is being placed on the forthcoming Archibald Portrait Prize in Sydney, MATT DIVE GOLD is an unusual event in which diverse artists from many countries have instead chosen to focus on a single, Australian model. In keeping with the tone of inspiration and visual invention, the exhibition features two large-scale, expressive, mixed-media paintings by Craig Ruddy, the 2004 Archibald Prize-winner.
This exhibition is produced in collaboration with LipanjePuntin Arte Contemporanea in Rome/Trieste, and with thanks to Sydney galleries - Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Martin Browne Fine Art and Richard Martin Gallery - and Galleria Il Ponte Contemporanea, Rome.
Over the years, Rome-based Australian curator Jonathan Turner has organized many international exhibitions for Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Festivals including solo shows by Pierre et Gilles and Erwin Olaf at Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Fritz Kok and Baron Wilhelm von Gloeden at Martin Browne Fine Art, Maree Azzopardi at Michael Carr Galleries, BodyGuard at Robin Gibson Gallery and John McRae at GrantPirrie. He also produced the famous Pierre et Gilles Mardi Gras poster in 1994, and has been awarded Mardi Gras prizes for best Visual Arts event and best Parade Entry (for the controversial anti-bullying, "woodwork class" float). An award-winning freelance curator and art critic in Europe and the U.S. (including prizes for best independent curator in 2006 and 2007, and for his work with the Venice Biennale and ARTnews magazine, New York), he also helped stage the lead float dedicated to Matt Mitcham as 2009 Chief-of-Parade.
Official opening - Wednesday March 3, 5-8pm.
Fresh from competing in Germany, Matt Mitcham will be present at the opening (the day after his 22nd birthday), along with several of the artists, the curator and the “rainbow divers” who led Matt Mitcham’s Chief-of-Parade float from last year’s Mardi Gras.
Exhibition opening hours: every day from Monday March 1 to Saturday March 13 11am to 6pmbirthday), along with several of the artists, the curator and the “rainbow divers” who led Matt Mitcham’s Chief-of-Parade float from last year’s Mardi Gras.
Smith & Hall Gallery - 53-59 Great Buckingham Street, Redfern, NSW Australia
For more information please contact:
Emma Smith events@smithandhall.com.au or www.smithandhall.com.au tel (02) 8823 4300.
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