Noel Brady, Clockwork Queen of Hearts, 2019. Recycled piano parts, wood, cardboard, plastics, rubber, brass, steel, copper & aluminium, 49 x 69.5cm. Courtesy of the artist and Rockhampton Art Gallery, Queensland.

Clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades: playing cards are intrinsically woven into the fabric of everyday life and straddle both cultural and social divides through their universality. More than merely graphic tablets, toys or tools, playing cards are cultural imprints that reveal popular customs and peculiarities. In Clockwork Royals, artist Noel Brady uses available materials or “bricoleur” to masterfully recreate their classic lines, form and design. Focusing on the picture card power couples, the Kings and Queens, Brady dissects their unique personalities using an assemblage of piano parts, recycled objects, wood, metal, rubber, cardboard and plastic and recreates the eight monarchs and their medieval motifs in relief.

Exhibition opens: 1 July 2019