#undercurrentgroupshow

“AKUZE” by @craigcoleartist Ink on paper 56 x 76cm $500 SOLD “My work celebrates the gritty beauty of the streets, in a fine art realm. By producing highly detailed oil paintings that depict tags and slaps upon the urban environment, I endeavour to blur the boundaries between what is street art or graffiti and what is fine art. I want to facilitate a chance for the audience to challenge their pre-existing views and question their tastes and opinions and perhaps even their prejudices: Do they like this painting because it is an oil painting? Or because it so finely depicts a grungy and romanticised urban narrative. Graffiti is seen as a destructive element in society, often viewed more as a problem than an art form. Such niche urban works however shouldn’t be viewed as destructive but more as a creative abstraction of the letter. The general public have an appreciation and acceptance for street art while most people still frown upon tags. I aim to show the viewer an image that they would not normally stop and take the time to look at. By painstakingly rendering each tag and slap sticker with oil paint I offer an alterna- tive view into the importance of graffiti for those who may be unaware, or uneducated in this particular culture. Each slap and tag fights for a position and level of importance on a small surface; this creates a colourful and textured collage. Using obscure perspectives brings another level of interest, to what would be an other wise ordinary snapshot of an urban scene.” #UndercurrentGroupShow #BSIDEgallery (at BSIDE Gallery)

UNDERCURRENT II show is now extended to run Wednesday-Friday this week. Last chance to check it out. #BSIDEgallery #UndercurrentGroupShow (at BSIDE Gallery)

“Space Cadet” by @lingerid Acrylic on canvas 79 x 54cm (framed) $700 “The majority of my subject matter revolves around my formative years through the late 80’s and early 90’s. Referencing pop culture from that era provides a nostalgic feel on a personal level and generally results in a lot of my work taking on a light hearted feel. This in turn makes me want to refine my approach as much as possible. Painting stupid things in a serious manner. Be it a portrait of an actor best known for playing a coke head or Hulk Hogan ripping his shirt off, the idea of recapturing childhood imagery has always been appealing to me. I find the ability of an image to invoke nostalgia, as well as it’s power of shared emotional attachment fascinating, and something worth exploring. The studio environment provides me with a space to examine alternative methods of creation. It also allows me to invest more time in my work that might not be afforded in other scenarios. Through my studio work I attempt to capture a sense of immediacy through heavy brush strokes, focusing on areas where detail is required whilst leaving other areas unrefined. This approach mimics the logic applied to a lot of street work. In those instances one can “paint for the photo” knowing that the majority of your audience will be viewing your work compressed through a smart phone screen. The unexpected outcome of this has been the impact on my mural work. Where initially I looked to paint every detail there is now a conscious effort to paint looser and try to capture the feel of brush strokes without applying them in a literal, photographic sense. This allows me to use more gestural details to provide the visual information required to form a finished piece whilst not necessarily spelling out every detail. I’m excited to see how my studio work and exterior work continue to develop and feed from each other in future.” For inquiries contact @bside.gallery #UndercurrentGroupShow #BSIDEgallery (at BSIDE Gallery)

@_bailer Mixed media on wood 50.5 x 41.5cm $300 Mixed media on wood, 20 x 20cm, $200 Each Painting publicly/prolifically in Melbourne for over 20 years Bailer has been a leading proponent of the graffiti/public art realm for at least a decade. Working with many mediums Bailer hopes to continue to expand his repertoire whilst solidifying himself as one of Melbourne’s Most dedicated who is not afraid to go against the grain and do his own thing. “My recent works all draw from personal experiences. Filled with symbols and metaphors that resonate and reflect aspects of my life. The resin pieces have layers of spider web set into them. The spider; builder, creator, architect bit me three times last year. Red back bites on three occasions that all sent me to hospital. One bite on my painting finger that had to be cut to the bone. The spider was trying to tell me how full of poison I was. After over 20 years of spray paint I was full of more than just spider venom. So a positive change in life style and painting technique was triggered with the venomous bite as catalyst. I began playing with new techniques and creating my own brushes and rollers. Recently Conrad Bizjak (Under Current II artist) and I have been getting into free diving. This has impacted my life and is overflowing into my artwork. You could say that the resin cast pieces are like rock pools. Mini ecosystems of strangeness. The painting is a layered piece, demonstrating the progression to find new techniques by destroying the old. It is also like looking down into the water. Kelp moves not unlike a dragon in the push and pull of the tide. The driftwood and seaweed attached make for an added kitch element. Like something your aunty made to hang in the bathroom at her little beach shack. I think it is good to pay your art with respect, but even better to remember it is just paint so don’t be so precious about it, take the piss a bit.” For inquiries contact @bside.gallery #UndercurrentGroupShow #BSIDEgallery (at BSIDE Gallery)

“Two Figures In The Abyss​“ by @Christopher.Hancock Acrylics and oil on canvas, 61x91cm, $375 For inquiries contact @bside.gallery #UndercurrentGroupShow #BSIDEgallery (at BSIDE Gallery)

“Untitled” by Heesco. Acrylics and aerosol on canvas. 75 x 100cm SOLD My painting is a reference to the late Zdislaw Beksinski’s famous painting commonly known as “The Flute”. It is “untitled”, the same way Beksinski never gave titles to his works as he was strongly insistent on not giving titles and explanations about his work which might affect how the viewer receives his work. In other words, he wanted more of a personal and emotional reaction from the viewers, the viewer gets to decide what it means for themselves, which has always been one of the important aspects of my canvas works.  #UndercurrentGroupShow #BSIDEgallery (at BSIDE Gallery)

“Fishie” by @putospaint Aerosol and acrylics on canvas, diptych, 31 x 31cm each, $800 #UndercurrentGroupShow #BSIDEgallery (at BSIDE Gallery)

“Pearl Earrings Image Preview” by @jaaaaameswilson Aerosol on wood panel, 122 x 81cm $1200 #UndercurrentGroupShow #BSIDEgallery (at BSIDE Gallery)