Underlying Glenn Barkley’s new body of work is what the artist terms “mnemonic archaeology” – reflecting on recent personal experiences and global shifts, including political changes and the accelerated digital landscape.
Barkley challenges traditional ceramic forms, creating function-free vessels that serve as canvases for social commentary. In experimental idiocy, pieces feature provocative texts drawn from political speeches and online rhetoric, such as “double haters” and “Anglosphere mind virus.” By firing these fleeting phrases onto ceramic surfaces, Barkley creates a permanent record of our rapidly changing cultural landscape.
Glenn Barkley, Dontgonowratcatremix stink bottle, 2024, earthenware, 24.5 × 23 × 7cm. Photograph: Mark Pokorny. Courtesy the artist and Sullivan+Strumpf, Sydney
Sullivan+Strumpf
11 November to 14 December 2025
Sydney
