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Brent Harris, The Face

22 APRIL - 14 JUNE 2004

 

A new exhibition by renowned contemporary artist Brent Harris is on view at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from 22 April until 14 June.

Inspired by fellow New Zealand artist Colin McCahon and Michelangelo's Pieta, Harris seeks to explore the visual and emotional realms of religious art in the human condition.

In strongly coloured paintings, Harris renders versions of the head of Christ. He paints globular shapes into facial features which shift between form and formlessness. In other paintings pared back muted tones contrast with characteristic drooping shapes of clear white.

Harris employs McCahon's work to question ideas about religious representation, tracing McCahon's trajectory, his individual quest for meaning beyond a traditional religious iconography. He draws upon Michelangelo's Pieta sculpture as a starting point, summoning the emotional response he had to this work upon seeing it at the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Italy.

Through the exhibition Harris asks: "How do I use the enormous history of western religious art and Christian iconography as a starting point to produce new work, without calling forth questions of metaphysics and religious meaning".

Born in New Zealand, Harris came to Australia in 1981. He studied Fine Arts in Melbourne and his work is included in many Australian collections including the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of New south Wales, Art Gallery of Western Australia and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Harris' work has featured in groups show such as the Archibald Prize, Field Work: Australian Contemporary Art 1968-2002, Moet & Chandon Travelling Exhibition, John McCaughey Memorial Art Prize and Australia Perspecta. He has also had a number of solo shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.

Brent Harris - The Face is a part of the Art Gallery of New South Wales' Contemporary Projects programme.

 

 

Brent Harris, The beautiful face of Christ remembered 2004

On view:Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery Road, The Domain, Sydney
Website www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au
Telephone:Telephone (02) 9225 1744
or recorded information (02) 9225 1790
National Toll Free 1800 679 278
Hours:Hours 10am to 5pm, 7 days a week
Art After Hours Wednesday nights until 9pm
Admission:Free of Charge
 
Media Information and Interviews:Jan Batten, Press Office
(02) 9225 1791 or 0418 279 348
Email janb@ag.nsw.gov.au

IMAGE CREDIT: Brent Harris The beautiful face of Christ remembered, 2004.
Image Courtesy of the Artist and Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne. © Brent Harris