07 January 2010

Ricky Swallow at the NGV

Art imitates life in the works of the renowned Australian sculptor.

Currently showing at the National Gallery of Victoria are the remarkably intricate sculptures of Ricky Swallow.

Ricky Swallow injects art into everyday life with his realist creations based on objects inspired by his immediate surroundings.

'The Bricoleur' – the title of his current exhibition – draws on the notion of Swallow as a piecing together works, though in reality his skill lies in his ability to represent common objects, such as the half-eaten apple, and work them into a highly crafted wooden object.

Rather than representing abstract notions through his work, he celebrates the quotidian and the material objects that make up our personal histories, based on the theory that we are inevitably defined by the objects we collect, and ultimately become objects when we are decomposed bone.

The exhibition, which runs until 28 February, is a unique opportunity to see the Australian-born's sculptor's unique works – some hand-carved from wood or plaster, others cast in bronze, along with a series of watercolours.

Ricky Swallow at the National Gallery of Victoria
ngv.vic.gov.au