For the first time Paul McDermott will display his artwork to the public in a free three-part exhibition, The Dark Garden, as part of the 2013 Adelaide Fringe Festival.
Paul’s work is comprised of various mediums including paintings, prints, banners, soundscapes and films with more than 100 pieces being displayed across three immersive environments.
Being shown in the basement of an abandoned building now turned into Fringe venue, The Tuxedo Cat, Paul’s dark and mysterious creatures will fill its void, taking audiences on an adventure of light, scale and sound.
Audiences will move through the space by the glow of their own torch light, with a unique soundscape accompanying each environment created by Mat Blackwell (comedy writer and Good News Week artist) and Stu Hunter (Musical Director of Paul Sings).
This exhibition has been a very personal journey for Paul, so personal that he is not prepared to part with his work and has taken over 20 years to show the public this side of his creativity.
The works were created in a very small room under his home in Sydney, a room which will be entirely recreated as part of the exhibition, enabling audiences to take a glimpse into his creative processes and dark imaginings.
The Dark Gardens - is a nouveau-colonial vision of a post-apocalypic future: a bleak black Eden, ravaged by avarice, diseased, destroyed and, yet, thriving. In The Dark Gardens mega-cute mega-fauna battle and consume other absurd hybridised lusus naturae.
Emile Kirst - is a boy who attends a new school. On his first day he notices he’s different from the other students. They are all Monsters. Emile is at a school for monsters. How incredibly cool! At first he’s frightened by the other students but he finds, over the course of the day, even monsters can be the best of friends.
Short Films:
The Girl Who Swallowed Bees - is the story of a confused and upset child who only sees one way out of her emotional turmoil. She settles on bizarre method to hasten her demise. Instead nature conspires to affect her in a life-altering and ultimately, a life-affirming way.
The Scree - five strange friends set out on an adventure in a tiny boat. They discover a mysterious island, an island filled with bizarre vegetation and deadly creatures. Are they doomed in this alien environment? Or will they survive the island and its most frightening resident - The terrifying Scree?
The Dark Garden
Exhibition: continues to 17 March 2013
Venue: The Tuxedo Cat
Address: 199 North Terrace, Adelaide
Image: courtesy of Paul McDermott
For more information, visit: www.adelaidefringe.com.au for details.
Exhibition: continues to 17 March 2013
Venue: The Tuxedo Cat
Address: 199 North Terrace, Adelaide
Image: courtesy of Paul McDermott
For more information, visit: www.adelaidefringe.com.au for details.
