Matt Ellwood – ‘The Germaine Greer Series’
Opening: Tuesday, 15 august, 5.30 - 7.30pm
Artist talk: 2 september, 11.30am
Exhibition: 16 August - 9 September 2017
"The Germaine Greer series" is a body of work originally exibited by MATT ELLWOOD as a solo show called "Alabama Song"
at The General Store for Contemporary Art in Sydney in 2011.
Inspired by what would soon be the 40th anniversary of Greer's March 1972 conviction in New Zealand for the use of
obscene language during the promotion of her ground-breaking book "The Female Eunuch", Ellwood reproduces, in charcoal,
the nine adverts that appeared throughout her Playboy magazine interview from January of the same year.
The advertisements are predominantly cigarette and alcohol based, obviously aimed at men, but heavily undermined by the
message Greer is trying to put across in the text. The artist addresses this idealogical disjuncture and accentuates the
New Zealand context by blacking out and censoring each advertisement's text.
The interview itself was amusingly laden with her expletives, which became the source for Ellwood's limited edition
artist book caled "Holiday Anniversary Issue" where all the non-swearing content was removed leaving a kind of
accidental formalist potty-mouthed poetry.
For this exhibition Ellwood has also created a new audience interactive work in the window space. Entitled 'Swear like
Greer' it invites the audience to punctuate the surrounding space with the sound of their own voice reiterating the very
same words Greer used in her public address all those years ago.
See also our current exhibition group exhibition of work by GAVIN HURLEY, SAM MITCHELL, ROBIN NEATE & MARTIN POPPELWELL at Melanie Roger Gallery till 12th August. Ends at 3pm.
Please note that Melanie Roger Gallery has relocated to 444 Karangahape Rd in Newton. The gallery continues to work with
its roster of both established and emerging artists with an exciting line up of exhibitions planned for 2017 and beyond.
We thank all our artists, clients and friends of the gallery for supporting us at our Herne Bay location and we look
forward to welcoming you to our new space!
444 Karangahape Rd, Newton, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Wednesday - Friday 11 - 4pm & Saturday 11 - 3pm
ENDS