Mandy Gunn at ATG

Gunn’s exhibition, ‘Re[as]semble’, builds on the artist’s extensive practice focusing strongly on her continued investigation into use of recycled materials. In reassembling and reconstructing the evidence of man’s occupation of urban and rural landscapes, Gunn transforms the wasteful products into elegant sculptural pieces.

“Pattern, repetition and gridded arrangements are central devices applied in Gunn’s work and there is strong sense of harmony, symmetry and balance within these structures. Despite being static works, the assemblages sometimes create optical illusions, giving the impression that they are moving or vibrating on the wall.” – Edwina Bartlem [contemporary art curator, + exhibitions manager State Library of Victoria] 2013

Her large installation works consisting of any number of items including shopping bags, met tickets, phone books, fence droppers, steel strapping, corrugated iron, echidna quills, emu eggs to name a few, are not only visually-compelling but also, upon further consideration, reveal the nature of consumer wastefulness and its effect on the urban and rural landscapes. The materials in Gunn’s pieces are mostly hand cut and reassembled using textile-linked techniques; laborious and time-consuming work. Often these projects start small, becoming bigger installations or sculptures, partly due to an endless supply of consumed products.

“Looking closely at Gunn’s work, the viewer cannot help but reflect on the amount of technique and time involved in making these constructions. In an era when everything is speeding up and we demand that most things be done more ‘efficiently’ and quickly, this work reminds us of the rewards of slowing down and taking the time to make something that is incredibly detailed and beautiful by hand. Gunn’s work rewards the viewer for taking the time to slow down and look more closely at the finer detail of the work.” – Edwina Bartlem