  selective exhibitions ..this is not intended as an exhaustive listing of exhibitions I have participated in. The first exhibition in which I was a participant was a joint surrealist exhibition at Roen Art Gallery (a small local suburban gallery) with school friend artist Heather Robinson in 1981. My paintings were only exhibited once more in the eighties, in 1985. My works were rejected by all the commercial Melbourne galleries I approached in that decade.I then exhibited with the Contemporary Art Society of Victoria from 1992 to 1996. Since 1995 I have exhibited with Roar Studios, an artist run gallery. My first solo was at Roar in June 1999. My works were also included in the Roar stand of the 1996 Australian Contemporary Art Fair 5 (the Australian Contemporary Art Fair is now known as the Melbourne Art Fair). In the nineties, I did one better than the previous decade: I was rejected not only by all the commercial galleries I approached in Melbourne, but also by all of the commercial galleries approached in Sydney. In Australia if it's not decor, Australiana, or the faux avant garde, it will not sell! ..... when art is defined by the (art) market it is no longer art that is sold, but a commodity intended to pay for the wages, rent, overheads of the venture (gallery) in question. When the 'artist' deliberately sets out to create work that caters to market appeal, for the sole purpose it being sold, instead of expressing an idea, they are reduced to the status of artisans, not artists. Regardless of whatever talent these artisans may possess they instead create objects d'art, not art. The creation of such pseudo-art usually entails a considerable degree of self-censorship. It is 'art' that has only come about by researching what buyers want. High art has nothing to do with with what buyers want, for the prospective buyer is merely looking for a work of craft that serves merely as an adjunct to their other decor. Art created with the tastes of the prospective buyer reduces the artist to an artisan whose work contributes nothing to the sum total of human endeavour.. 11 - 30 March 1994 |
 |
|
In October of 2002 four of my paintings travelled to Chicago, USA. In an exhibition organsied by Veronika Kotlajich of Echo Galley (Chicago) for Halloween, my works were exhibited alongside those of other artists, including Daniel Ouellette.
ehco gallery late evening... showing the Chicago skyline
 Echo Gallery directors, Derek (left) Veronika (right), with Demetrios and partner Lee-Anne (centre). |
