deadpole
Queensland is a State where the divisions between city and country are particularly pronounced.
There are parts of Queensland that are no less remote than their equivalents in other states, however, regional Queensland is comparatively populous, has considerable power at the ballot box and thus it cannot be ignored. In Brisbane we are constantly reminded of the tyranny of distance and our responsibilities as advantaged city folk in respect of the 'disadvantaged' regions. What is often forgotten is that a significant number of artists currently working in Brisbane were raised in remote or regional parts of the state and are well aware of the difficulties.
Shaun Weston is one of these artists and his exhibition, Deadpole, might be seen as a self portrait that takes a humorous look at country life from the point of view of an urban( e) sophisticate. Interestingly this exhibition comes between two trips overseas where Weston has experienced at least two of the ultimate urban environments, London and Tokyo. This exhibition was perhaps an ideal time to reconcile and reflect upon a childhood in regional Queensland, his development as an artist who has received a degree from the Queensland University of Technology and his time abroad. Weston spent much of his 'between time' in a rural setting and this he describes as a period of hibernation although it is clear that a lot of work was generated during his hibernation.Thus in the centre of Brisbane and in a gallery operated by Queensland University of Technology, we are greeted by the pungent smell of hay and a series of installations that satirise the culture of country in a way that is witty, knowing and affectionate.
Notwithstanding