Knowing You, Knowing Me: New artists show at Artspace 2010

Inclusion in the ARTSPACE New Artists Show has been an important step in the careers of many New Zealand artists, including current Walters Award nominees Dan Arps, Fiona Connor and Alex Monteith. The New Artists Show highlights new and vital art practice and reflects the momentum of art making in New Zealand. This year seven artists from a diverse range of backgrounds have been invited to participate in this high profile show.

The wording for Knowing You, Knowing me playfully re-orders and complicates the title of the well-known Abba song with a nod to the personal approach these artists take to their art making.

³What interests me is the way these artists emphasise small personal gestures. All seven artists work in performance and drawing and are directly and intimately involved in their work,² says ARTSPACE Director Emma Bugden.

Claire Harris mines the awkward narratives of stand-up comedy, while Jeremy Leatinu¹u draws on expectations of cultural hospitality by performing acts of welcome to unknown visitors. Mei Cooper and Trenton Garratt both create drawings that take their cue from performative actions. Scott Satherley¹s drawing of a series of repetitive patterns builds up and creates a layered terrain whereas Tiffany Singh¹s work uses the sensory richness of colours and spices in an installation of hanging sculptural objects, which is only fully activated through participation by gallery visitors.

Jess Johnson¹s drawings utilise the handmade modes of guerilla advertising‹posters, zines. She will create a unique drawing for the exhibition poster.

Scott Satherly¹s band Toad will play a gig at ARTSPACE supported by Steve Abel on Thursday the 29th of July.

Mei Cooper, Trenton Garratt, Claire Harris, Jess Johnson, Jeremy Leatinu¹u, Tiffany Singh & Scott Satherley