Lot 16

Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne
Private collection, Victoria
Private collection, Melbourne

Urbane, Five Fifty Art Advisory, Melbourne, 18 August - 2 October 2021, cat. no. 2

Patricia Piccinini is undoubtedly one of Australia's most important contemporary artists. With a career spanning several decades, she has established herself as a leading creative force. Piccinini's style is distinctive, marked by a dynamic interplay of morphing ideas. Central to her practice is the exploration of intersections between technology and the natural world. In an age of artificial intelligence, genetic manipulation and the everlasting influence of advertising and media on humanity, her work is relevant more than ever.

Lightning 2006 part of her Panel Works series, which began developing between 1998 and the 2000s, exhibits signature elements that have come to define her career. (1) In many ways, it represents a foundational point in her artistic evolution, where the metamorphosis between objects and ideas first begins to take shape.

Through these works, Piccinini critiques the advertising industries, particularly how they foster consumer desire. The seductive surfaces and sleek designs serve as a metaphor for how visual appeal in advertising captures and captivates the viewer, encouraging a desire for the often unattainable or idealized.

"I am fascinated by commercialism, by its thin, fragile, unjustifiable beauty. For me it is the archetype of those things which, although they aren't good for us, we cannot help but love. I am fascinated by the variety, complexity, beauty and seduction of consumerism." (2) (Artist Statement)

The meticulously crafted surfaces, finished with automotive paint, lend Lightning 2006 a refined and polished appearance. The carefully chosen colour palette, particularly the vibrant reds, evoke the allure of luxury vehicles like the iconic Ferrari, yet here, that automotive essence is transformed into an artistic object. This tension between technological allure and critical commentary on consumer culture is central to the series.

Her precision and artistic expression highlights Piccinini's unique approach, making the work both visually striking and conceptually profound.

Wiebke Brix, Head of Art

(1) Messenger J., PATRICIA PICCININI Once upon a time..., exhibition catalogue, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 2011, p. 12
(2) Artist statement, patriciapiccinini.net

© Courtesy of The Artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney