Prominent Melbourne/Naarm-based artist Adrian Doyle is shifting gears in his latest show The Stains of Time, now on display at Hyphen – Wodonga Library Gallery.
A pivotal figure in Australia’s street art scene, The Stains of Time marks a transition to a different medium where he explores the intersection of suburbia and the Australian Dream.
He investigates this concept through 21 individual works, using a colourful palette and playful sculptures to depict hidden moments in a familiar world as a critique of contemporary Australian culture.
“The theme’s very strongly linked to the idea of suburban identity,” he said.
“I believe in Australia we’re all kind of guilty of suburbia in some capacity.
“So, by trying to understand the iconography of suburbia, I feel like I can link into the Australian psyche.
“Overall, I feel like the artwork communicates my ideas very well and I’m very proud of the show.”
Growing up in Bairnsdale, the opportunity to show at a regional gallery was a sentimental one.
“Showing at a regional gallery is important to me,” he said.
“My parents, they lived in Bairnsdale until recently when they passed, and for me, I feel a nostalgic sort of yearning to engage.
“I didn’t get to have my show in Bairnsdale but, you know, coming to Wodonga is a very similar experience.”
When discussing what he hopes people take from the show, Doyle focuses on the experiential aspect of walking through the exhibition and letting the interpretation of pieces be informed by personal experience.
“When I do my art, I want the little kid to understand it. I want my important lecturers and academics to understand it. But, I also want people like my mum and dad - ordinary, everyday people - to come in a walk away with some sort of experience.”
“If they stay and engage and look at it and they start finding stuff in it, then they will go away with something and, to me, that’s why we make art as artists.”
The Stains of Time will be on display in the Artspace Gallery at Hyphen – Wodonga Library Gallery from Friday, November 10, 2023 until Sunday, March 3, 2024.
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