Wildthing

Opening at Mosman Art Gallery this October, 'Wild Thing' sets out to unleash our curiosities and and take us for a walk on the wild side.

Wildthing is an apt title for examining the depiction of animals in contemporary Australian art. As a description it appeals to the Australian psyche – the rugged land at the other end of the world, filled with convicts, immigrants and some of the world’s most unfriendly fauna – from sharks to crocodiles, the redback spider and the King Brown Snake.

With a hint of humour the artists collectively look into the psychology we impose upon animals – expressing the weird and wonderful relationships that are articulated in contemporary culture. Tapping into our imagination, the subject matter navigates domestic relationships, attitudes of the wild and untamed, and more serious concerns of species loss and ecological degradation.

For this exhibition works have been drawn from the Western Plains Cultural Centre collection as well as public and private collections. It has been produced in partnership with Western Plains Cultural Centre and Lake Macquarie Art Gallery, following the success of their joint 2014-2015 exhibition Wildside.

Artists include: Lisa Adams, Daniel Boyd, Joanna Braithwaite, Penny Byrne, Simon Cuthbert, Hayden Fowler, Peter Gardiner, Rew Hanks, Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro, Petrina Hicks, Deborah Kelly, Sam Leach, Joseph McGlennon, Noel McKenna, Danie Mellor, Rose Montebello, David Noonan, Ben Quilty, Michael Riley, Kate Rohde, Heather B. Swann, Beverley Veasey, Louise Weaver and Gerry Wedd.

Whilst some of the artists involved are known for their engagement with animals, Wildthing presents artists engaging with subject matter quite outside the usual scope of what they are known for.

Wildthing promises to be an insightful and telling exhibition on the symbiotic relationship between animals and humans. And if they had The Trogg’s playing at the exhibition opening, that would go down well too.