Hayley Arjona, Nicholas Folland, Samantha Small, Samuel Wilde
There is a real excitement about this exhibition. The work is fresh, smart and savvy, sharp and refreshing, not unlike a bottle of good new white wine (a 'cleanskin' is an unlabeled bottle of wine, usually good value for money). Curated for the Experimental Art Foundation by artist Samantha Small, the show includes the work of four artists, all recent graduates or Masters students at the University of South Australia, South Australian School of Art. The school has an important history in Adelaide, generating successful practitioners who including Bronwyn Platten, Shaun Kirby and Craige Andrae. Past and present teaching staff at the school include Jacky Redgate, John Barbour, Fiona Hall, and George Popperwell. Popperwell, who taught in England in the 1970s, has had a particular influence on the type of object-based work that has been perceived as characteristic of an 'Adelaide style'. This work might be best described as conceptually rigorous, formally sophisticated, and enigmatic. Much of the work uses commercially-made materials, and the artists have a solid understanding of contemporary art practice.
Cleanskin is interesting not least because it represents a striking development on the recent history of art-making in Adelaide, so much so that it looks like a real break. The connections are still there: a sophisticated use of materials, a smartness and resolution to the work. The exhibition is also well installed, and while the content and appearance of the work is diverse, the show conveys a startling sense of clarity and sharpness. From the glass doors at the entry to the Experimental Art Foundation, through the small foyer and into the exhibition space itself, Samantha Small has installed a chequerboard of black and white floor tiles