EVI O + ALEX XERRI

13 – 24 NOVEMBER 2019

MUSIC TELEVISION

In presenting MUSIC TELEVISION, Saint Cloche Director Kitty Clark continues her mission to extend the frontiers of the stereotypical by merging the her two stable artists Evi O & Alex Xerri. As the title suggests, this duo show is an artistic examination into the radical pre-millennia decade filled with one-note punchlines, memorable catchphrases, dance-aerobic videos and voluminous perms. 

Both Evi & Alex share a penchant for non-conformist interpretations and use of electrifying colours. Evi O’s latest collection ‘Borrowed Time’ is a response to the beats and strums of human feelings colliding, a personal story told through colours and music. In ‘Jurassic’, Alex has created paintings that elicits the nostalgia and passion for a pre-millennia television aesthetic.

Some say, nostalgia is a form of escapism, possibly because of all the challenges the world is facing today, nostalgia is being triggered to maintain a sense of stability and continuity over time – a way to distract ourselves from the uncertainty of present times perhaps?

“Video killed the radio star In my mind and in my car We can’t rewind we’ve gone too far…”

From the first music video shown on Music Television – ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ by The Buggles.

Evi O is an award-winning multi-disclipinary designer and self-taught artist based in Sydney. With a curious eye and mind, she is constantly exploring and observing her surroundings. Through paint, Evi O continues to explore the use of dominant abstract shapes, although the compositions she presents are broadly suggestive of earthly forms – animal, plant or constructed. The creatures she depicts, and the scenes that she relays are symbolic of people, places and scenes that have left their mark – and this affords her an intimacy with her subjects that infuses the images with emotional resonance.

Colour is the cornerstone of Evi O’s practice, and her works are reduced, abstracted, and finely balanced colour works. Running a design practise that exposes her to 3D forms, and spatial design brings a unique dimension to her artworks. Saint Cloche most recently revealed Evi O. with a sellout show, FANTASIA at Sydney Contemporary 2019.

@evi_o

EVI O

“A sip, a smack, a beat alright. Who are you, is that your new face, friend? Blues for muse, reggae for real. Jazz the stage, bass can wait. The moon ain’t full yet, Today nor tomorrow is here either. Fast or slow, I don’t care so long it’s sweet. Let’s get away from here before it’s too late.”

In this body of work, Evi O captures energy and explores tension by contrasting colour, lines, curves, texture and space. The narratives are raw and unfiltered, the paintings explorative, offering visual and emotional escapism for those who care to peruse further.

‘Borrowed Time’ is a visual recollection of Evi O’s jagged hours spent with fine friends and entertaining strangers. A riff of conversations, a strum of laughs, awkward beats, these moments were short, yet sharply everlasting.

Evi O’s soundtrack to ‘Borrowed Time.’ Click to load Spotify playlist

EVI O

BORROWED TIME

Enjoy Right Now, Today Acrylic & medium on timber panel & frames 79 x 64 cm (framed) $3,200

Borrowed Time Acrylic & medium on timber panel & frames 79 x 64 cm (framed) $3,200

Wild Combination Acrylic & medium on timber panel & frames 28 x 32.5 cm (framed) $750

Let’s Keep It Virtual Acrylic & medium on timber panel & frames 28 x 32.5 cm (framed) $750

Skiptracing Acrylic & medium on timber panel & frames 28 x 32.5 cm (framed) $750

Face to Face Acrylic & medium on timber panel & frames 28 x 32.5 cm (framed) $750

Meet Again Acrylic & medium on timber panel & frames 28 x 32.5 cm (framed) $750

Ordinary Pleasure Acrylic & medium on timber panel & frames 28 x 32.5 cm (framed) $750

Automatic Stop Acrylic & medium on timber panel & frames 28 x 32.5 cm (framed) $750

On Repeat Acrylic & medium on timber panel & frames 28 x 32.5 cm (framed) $750

Alex Xerri is a painter/ceramicist from Sydney. She has completed a Bachelor of Fine Art majoring in painting at the National Art School and is currently completing a Masters of Fine Art at National Art School, majoring in painting. Former Co-Host of radio program ‘Retro-Rehash’ on Blue Mountains Radio, Xerri has exhibited in a number of exhibitions since 2016, including at Carriageworks and Alaska Projects in Sydney, as well as internationally in England and the United States of America.

Saint Cloche most recently revealed Xerri within NEXT at Sydney Contemporary 2019 - a recent annexe that showcased the next generation of talent with 50 works from artists under the age of 40.

@prehistorytv

ALEX XERRI

Alex Xerri’s work explores the discovery of the wonders of the ancient debris of life in foreign lands. Her paintings are playful, and rough, in bright, fiery palettes, and robust in texture.

Exploring the globe, she has gathered visuals from unique landforms, natural history museums and Palaeontology and Zoology Departments. There’s tension between representation and abstraction, in the discovery of prehistoric dinosaurs, documented as bright, goofy bones.

In this body of work, ‘Jurassic’, paintings document fossils re-emerging from the Earth’s crust, discovered by intrepid palaeontologists in sedans traversing unknown lands. There is the excitement of archaeological excavation and discovery. Perceptible also is the aesthetic sensibility, of a pastiche of vintage TV and cinematic influences ranging from wildlife documentaries, gritty cartoons, and the exciting mood and super-charged pace of 1980’s high-speed car chases.

Click to load Spotify playlist

ALEX XERRI

JURASSIC

GOOD LUCK Oil on canvas 99x 99 cm $1,800

SNAKE CAR III Oil on canvas 105 x 90 cm $1,700

DIMETRODON SHOW Acrylic on canvas 79 x 69 cm $1,100

ARGUMENT BETWEEN TWO MOUNTAINS Acrylic on canvas 80 x 65 cm $1,100

CAR NET Acrylic on canvas 65cm x 54.5cm $750

HEADLIGHTS TAILIGHTS Oil on canvas 69 x 54 cm $800

LAVA DROPS Acrylic on canvas 63.5 x 53 cm $700

EXHAU$T CLOUD$ Acrylic on canvas 53.5 x 43 cm $550

VOLCANIC FOUNTAIN I Acrylic and airbrush on canvas 53 x 43 cm $550

FLAG Oil on canvas 48.5 x 38.5 cm $450

HAWK CLAWS Oil on canvas 41 x 33 cm $350

STEGOSAURUS FOSSILS Oil on canvas 42.5 x 32.5cm $400

BLACK VOLCANO Oil on canvas 45 x 35 cm $400

LUCKY STRIKE Acrylic on canvas 25 x 24.5 cm $220

DYNAMITE Acrylic on canvas 28.5 x 23 cm $250

SEARCHING FOR FOSSILS IN VOLCANIC RUBBLE Acrylic and ceramic stucco on canvas 28.5 x 23 cm $250

EVAPORATION Acrylic and airbrush on canvas 28.5 x 23 cm $250

CARTOON LANDSCAPE Oil on canvas 23 x 23 cm $220

BRICKS Oil on canvas 18 x 18 cm $200

CAMELS High gloss glazed, white raku 13 x 13 x 3 cm $300

AV CABLE High gloss glazed, white raku 22 x 5 cm $110

BRICK CASTLE SCHOONER High gloss glazed, white raku 13 x 7.5 cm $120

FIREBALL High gloss glazed, white raku 5 x 3.5 cm $90

JURASSIC MIXTAPE High gloss glazed, white raku 11 x 6 x 1 cm $200

GOLDEN LAVA High gloss glazed, white raku 7 x 5 cm $90

CARTOON BONES White raku JAW: 12.5 x 17 x 17 cm BONES X2: large 28cm, small 12cm $350

CRETACEOUS MIXTAPE High gloss glazed, white raku 11 x 6 x 1 cm $200

CHECKERBOARD ASHTRAY High gloss glazed, white raku 10 x 3 cm $90

OLD TALLY-HO High gloss glazed, white raku 8 x 3.5 x 2 cm $120

PANGEAN MIXTAPE High gloss glazed, white raku 11 x 6 x 1 cm $200

LIGHTERS High gloss glazed, white raku 7 x 3 x 1 cm $90 each

PTERODACTYL ASHTRAY High gloss glazed, white raku 17 x 12 x 3 cm $350

ZIPPO High gloss glazed, white raku 9 x 8 x 1.5 cm $90

VELVET RUBBLE High gloss glazed, white raku 16 x 10 cm $350

VOLCANO ASHTRAY High gloss glazed, white raku 10 x 3 cm $90

RIBS AND BONES White raku RIBS: 2x Large: 40 x 3 cm / 4x Medium: 32 x 3 cm BONES: 1x Large: 35 x 3 x 2 cm / 5 Medium: 23-30 x 3 x 2 cm $100 each

POWDER VOLCANO High gloss glazed, white raku 11 x 7 cm $300

TALLY-HO High gloss glazed, white raku 9 x 4 x 4 cm $120

SNOW CAPPED VOLCANO High gloss glazed, white raku 15 x 13 cm $350

SMOKES (X4) White raku 8 x 1 cm each $90 set of two

TV REMOTE High gloss glazed, white raku 19 x 4.5 x 3 cm $250

VE$$EL High gloss glazed, white raku 11 x 9 cm $220

TRIASSIC MIXTAPE High gloss glazed, white raku 11 x 6 x 1 cm $200

SAINT CLOCHE 37 MACDONALD STREET PADDINGTON NSW

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Shot on location at The Old Fitz, Woolloomooloo. Photography by Jacqui Turk