Young artist 'pops up' with help from Alumnus
Published on 22 July, 2009
Monto State High School Year 10 student Reece Mcgregor is showcasing his art skills in a public exhibition alongside his art teacher, Josh Cleary.
Their 'Caution Wet Paint' exhibition at the Boyne/Tannum Library (July 17-31) relies heavily on the style of pop art and stencilling techniques, with many images taken directly from popular culture itself.
The exhibition flier
Josh Cleary studied a Visual Arts degree in Brisbane before gaining his teaching qualifications via flexible studies in 2006, with the help of CQUniversity's Graduate Diploma of Learning and Teaching.
"This exhibition began as a way of showcasing the work of a young and emerging artist in an effort to boost confidence and encourage the continuation of regular artistic practice," Josh said.
"As well as showcasing young talent, this exhibition demonstrates that 'Art', does not necessarily have to be created by somebody who has had years of training in the finest art schools; nor does it have to be something that has been so over-thought and over-conceptualised that it has been so far removed from its original idea that the viewer needs several hours, and a packed lunch to make sense of it all.
"We feel that if there is no hidden meaning in our work, there is no reason to question its purpose.
"By using the stencilling technique, we are able to further remove ourselves from the artwork, leaving no traces of brush strokes or pencil marks to analyse and critique. This allows viewers to simply enjoy the colours, the image and the medium.
Josh said the use of pop imagery and stencilling techniques also enabled "an almost instant result".
"Being typical members of 'generation Y' (or the generation now) group, we are heavily dependent on technology, and want everything now. Using stencilling and pop imagery allows us to make work quickly. We don't have to wait hours for paint to dry, or for our subject to come back for another sitting on another day. We know that personally we don't like thinking about the ideas behind an artwork and therefore don't wish to force this onto fellow generation ‘Y' viewers or any other viewers of our work."