Songs From Yesterday

Songs From Yesterday

The Whangarei Art Museum presents Songs from Yesterday a series of works challenging spatial notions of object and drawing by Northland artist Murray Gibbs.

Works in this exhibition often revisit the transition phase between the past and the present. With the luxury of reflection, elements are added or subtracted to the art works, which become part constructed / part imagined reinterpretations of past narratives.

“Over time our memory of an object, event or story from yesterday often becomes an embellished construction. With some events encompassing a mix of fact and fiction, taking on an almost mythological context”

Gibbs’ art practice is strongly influenced by music - old favourites plus new discoveries. “The musical landscape potentially records our own position in space and time. Our own personal histories are often anchored by sounds. Hearing music from the past, either an album or individual song can trigger familiar experiences from distant places.”

Contained within the art works are narratives and concerns that have been revisited. Gibbs uses musical influences and his own experiences to explore the universal conditions of human nature, decay and renewal, and our relationship with the natural environment.

The collection of mixed media installations draws on domestic memories, backyard dreams, and societal observations. His expressive use of graphite combined with industrial materials renders a calm, monochromatic space that takes the viewer on a personal reflection of past, present and future.

ENDS

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