What’s in the Stockroom?

This week we visit Hobart’s Michael Bugelli Gallery, with director Michael Bugelli.

Henri Papin (Meijers and Walsh), The Surveyor, 2019. Oil on glass, found cedar window frame, 80 x 76 x 4cm.

“Henri Papin is a Hobart ‘institution’; a proto-gender-morph that was refined in urine-stained Parisian alleyways and in the imaginations of Mish Meijers and Tricky Walsh, during a residence at Cité des Arts Internationale in 2008. Henri is a wholly collaborative undertaking, as distinct from the artists’ practices of Meijers and Walsh,” says Michael Bugelli.

“I love the use of found material/object in this survey. It was produced the same year the gallery announced Henri’s representation, and so, at the time we were having lots of conversations about how to have ‘travel-safe’ immersive exhibition, at an art fair; it was premiered at Sydney Contemporary 2019.”

Michael Candy, Big Dipper, 2014/19. Kinetic light sculpture: plywood, electronics, 18 fluorescent tubes, Edition 3 of 3, 350 x 60 x 223cm.

“Candy’s works always have a wonderful rhythm to them. This is an immaculately executed sculpture with very subtle movements, combining symbolic elements of biology and physics; the helix of DNA and the waveform of light. It is a really beautifully conceived piece that mesmerises viewers. The work was also recently included in the Adelaide Biennale of Australian Art 2020 and Dark Mofo Hobart 2019.”

Dexter Rosengrave, Letter of Resignation 4, 2020. Paint on canvas, 152 x 198cm.

“Rosengrave is an emerging artist based in Hobart and these ‘Blind painting series 2020’ will begin the artist’s first presentation with the gallery (opening in October). It is such a privilege to work with emerging artists and watching their practice evolve.”

Lucienne Rickard, Self Portraits, 2020. 32 self-portraits erased on paper, 102 x 152cm.

“I am perpetually blown away by this work. The artist, a very accomplished illustrator, drew daily portraits of themselves, only to erase each, over and over again (32 times), on the same piece of paper. What remains is not only the ghost of each drawing, but the paper itself has worn, becoming part of the remnant that is this careful, delicate work. I will miss it when it leaves.”

James Barth and Spencer Harvie, ZONWEE: The last known recording of a daydream, 2019. Single-channel video, Edition 4 of 4, 5:44 mins.

“I enjoy this video because it really is like a daydream. Unashamedly, I’m a fan of Twilight and so an added bonus is how an animation in ZONWEE emphasises skin; it sparkles in the sun.”

“The project resulted from a six-month collaboration wherein the artists would meet regularly to present each other with lists of ideas, objects, images, and sayings. They then authored a ‘master list’ in an act of combination; a dreamy synthesis.”