Peter Milne
dal 3/4/2013 al 26/4/2013
Segnalato da
3/4/2013
Peter Milne
Colour Factory Gallery, Fitzroy
Personal Hygiene is an exhibition of large scale photomontages made from Milne's personal archive of original photographs, found photographs, postcards, and a government brochure on "Bowel Function After Surgery" supplied to the artist.
‘Personal Hygiene’ is an exhibition of large scale photomontages made from Peter’s personal archive of original
photographs, his collection of found photographs, vintage postcards, and a government brochure on ‘Bowel Function
After Surgery’ supplied to the artist.
When I awoke from surgery and read the brochure, I had no dramatic memory
flashes or important insights, just the sad realisation that I was wounded and vulnerable. Personal Hygiene is the series of
visual revelations that should have come to me to provide comfort at this time of need. It didn’t happen that way, so I had
to invent these memories for myself.
Each image in the exhibition has a particular emphasis but also with shared and recurring themes. The most obvious
shared subject is effectively illustrated through the relationship of humans to other Primates. ‘The work is a personal
response to some of the hopelessly shabby truths that are defining features of the human species but also an attempt to
address this in a positive, humorous way through the prism of our relationship to other Primates.
Playfulness and humour; both light and dark, play a strong role in the work of Peter Milne, as does the grotesque.
Images of puffy white clouds against blue skies in picturesque landscapes with cute inhabitants, are flanked by vulgar
images of medical and scientific procedures tested on Chimps. Personified primates and smiling couples sit side by
side atom bomb explosions and images of facial mutilations from pet primates. Peter continues his exploration of
a kitsch Australia, political satire and celebrity in this series. Post-apocalyptic skies over iconic Melbournian buildings,
the ‘Moomba Festival’ and other fine details draw on the experiences of his early years in Melbourne.
Peter Milne is a Melbourne-born (Brisbane-based) photomedia artist with a special interest in visual, historical
allegory. Recent solo exhibitions have included: Running Dogs - Australia’s Media Magnates at the Brisbane
Powerhouse and Brief Shining Moment at the Horsham Regional Gallery in Victoria. His work was included in
Political Photomedia in Queensland at the Colour Factory Gallery and The State We’re In at the University of
Queensland Art Museum and has been short listed for the 2013 Josephine Ulrick & Win Schubert Photography
Award at the Gold Coast City Art Gallery. In 2011 the Queensland Centre for Photography published a
monograph of Peter Milne’s photographs: Beautiful Lies: Notes Towards A History Of Australia.
He is represented by M.33, Melbourne.
Opening Thursday April 4th 6 - 8 pm
Artist’s talk: Friday April 5, 3pm
Colour Factory
409-429 Gore Street | Fitzroy, VIC 3065, Australia
Gallery hours: Mon-Fri, 10-6. Sat 1-4