Australian Galleries | Booth G10
Graeme Drendel
Influenced by the figurative painting of the Italian Renaissance, Graeme Drendel constructs his work by placing his subjects in the barren Mallee plains of his childhood. Drendel is exhibiting for the first time at Sydney Contemporary with Static and Silence, an exhibition made up of oil on canvases as well as a series of mixed media collage works which include isolated figures of solitude and introspection, even when depicted in groups or clusters. Their expressions and attire allude to larger obscured narratives, left to the viewer to decipher. Works also depict unaccompanied objects, poised within enigmatic scenarios that invite extended contemplation. These objects: a beautifully embroidered sofa, a rural water tank, or a lone worn suitcase resonate with presence, leaving us to ponder their significance as metaphors for a broader reality, or in relationship to figures unseen.
