Marion Abraham to be represented by Sullivan+Strumpf

The Tasmania-based artist Marion Abraham will bring her dynamic paintings to Sydney for a debut solo exhibition held by Sullivan+Strumpf after joining its stable. Abraham’s practice focuses on romantic renderings of the human body and landscapes, exploring themes of feminism and dark humour through the use of symbolism, escapist sentiments and clichés inspired by typical pastoral portraits in art history.

“I always find it pretty interesting thinking about the consciousness of anything else that’s not human. It’s a reminder of the connection between things,” said Abraham. “I really like subjects that are very present, they’re almost looking or have a gravity of seeing just behind an audience’s shoulder”.

The recent Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) Melbourne graduate combines fantasy and art history with symbols of modern society. White t-shirts, Adidas tracksuits and sports bras are placed on the artist’s subjects, incongruously situated in the countryside, combining contemporary society and the past. “You know if you paint clothes on someone” the artist states, “you land them at a place in history”. Using urgent brushwork, the human figure is the salient figure in the landscape.

Sullivan+Strumpf’s October show will be the artist’s first solo show in Sydney. The artist has previously exhibited at the Compendium Gallery, James Street Exhibition Space and Motley Bauhaus gallery.