Muswellbrook Art Gallery

12 January 2024

‘Art Tracks VII: Not at the Dinner Table!’ brings together works from the collections acquired through the Muswellbrook Art Prize, spanning from radical ideas to the taboos in normalcy of everyday life. These pieces serve as a visual testament to the transformative power of art, transcending limits, and shedding light on topics considered unfit for polite conversation.

The contemporary artists featured in this exhibition acknowledge that within these restricted subjects lies the potential for deeper understanding, empathy and connection. Some make bold political statements through their work, such as Adam Norton’s utilisation of protest iconography in his ‘Giant Badges’ series, 2020, and Mike Parr revisiting his previous political art performances in ‘Against the Dead (Self Portrait as a Wedge),’ 1983. Others delve into taboo subjects like death, exemplified by Susanne Archer’s ‘The Graveyard,’ 1987. The exhibition space itself is a forum for open discourse, challenging visitors to reassess the boundaries that dictate what is deemed acceptable for discussion in public settings. ‘Art Tracks VII: Not at the Dinner Table!’ encourages viewers to reflect on the sources of their discomfort and question why certain topics remain off-limits.

Until 25 May 2024

image: Adam Norton, Earth Abides, 2020, synthetic polymer paint on aluminium, 110 x 110 x 10 cm. Collection Muswellbrook Art Gallery. Photo: Docqment.