Demagogues and Megalomaniacs
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Abstract
There are two key facets of Younger's artistic practice and this exhibition focuses on one of these—photographic art. This exhibition—Demagogues and Megalomaniacs—was her first solo exhibition of new work in Brisbane for a number of years. The focus on materiality/photo as object/photomontage questions photography’s relationship to the real. This work is part of an ongoing investigation through photographic art that utilises smoke and mirrors to address notions of ‘spin’ and delusion. The purpose motivating the Demagogues and Megalomaniacs series is to question the absurdity of neo-liberal and despotic political leaders in our national and global arena. This series employs satirical photomontage drawn from popular culture with Bush, Reagan and Thatcher, Pauline Hanson, Clive Palmer, Trump and Kim Jong-Un as it’s abominable targets. There are new forms of photographic expression developed in this series. The D&M images are photographs of a process that combines laser cut and etched mirror with smoke, an uncontrollable element that literally takes form, depending on which way the wind blows. Highlighting political absurdity, in this instance, photography captures the chance element of process in flux. Photomontages etched into mirror in combination with the precarious physicality of smoke, digitally layered into the image comments on spin and the ephemerality of truth in our post-truth era. The key outcome at a significant commercial gallery was accompanied by a public interview with and catalogue essay by David Broker (writer, curator and Director of Canberra Contemporary Art Space). Selected works were included in a prestigious international exhibition at Ningbo Museum of Art in Aug 2019, ‘Hands Across the Pacific’ that drew together 54 artists representing 10 nations. 8 artists represented Australia and these works were the only works selected from Queensland. Museums and Galleries Queensland is touring the exhibition throughout Australia (2021-23)
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© 2018 Jay A.Younger. The attached file is reproduced here with permission of the copyright holder. For further information please contact the author.
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Photography, video and lens-based practice
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Younger, J, Demagogues and Megalomaniacs, 2018