the air around us Paper Mountain, 1 - 16 November 2014
A collaborative project between Stephen Armitstead and Lia McKnight, The air around us explores the interconnectedness of space in, around and between things. Intervening with and responding to the interior spaces and architecture of Paper Mountain, the exhibition brings kinetic, sculptural, ephemeral, video and sound-based works into the Gallery to disrupt, engage and awaken audiences and their perception of felt and seen spaces. The artists' distinct art practices find a meeting point within their shared interest in site, perception and a consideration of the viewer as an integral aspect of the work. Developed in a shared studio, the exhibition presents new installations, sculptures, kinetic and sound-based works.
Considering the interrelationship between object and viewer as a dynamic exchange, Lia McKnight's body of work centers around concepts of transcience, existentialism and the malleability of perception. In her use of kinetic objects, everyday materials and reflective surfaces, McKnight draws our focus back to the act of looking. This amplification of perception through movement, materiality and mirror is intended to reposition or re-frame the space and the viewer within it – to allow the viewer to simultaneously see and be part of the space and its objects. Within both Gallery and public contexts, this experiential focus considers the architecture, memory and specific character of existing spaces. Working across installation, sculpture and drawing, current works are fundamentally sensorial and often engage with phenomenology.
Publications: the air around us catalogue with essay by Laetitia Wilson PDF version
This exhibition received support from The Australian Artists’ Grant which is a NAVA initiative, made possible through the generous sponsorship of Mrs Janet Holmes à Court and the support of the Visual Arts Board, Australia Council for the Arts.
