Riverina based artist Jason Richardson pays homage to our environment in his upcoming exhibition Earthwords & Soundscaping at Griffith Regional Art Gallery.
Living in regional Australia gives artists a distinct relationship to the landscape and, after a decade in the Western Riverina, Richardson reflects on how the location has shaped his creative output.
The resulting exhibition brings together his myriad creative interests as a producer of poetry, imagery and music over the past ten years.
Richardson’s music, concocted from playgrounds across the Riverina gained national and international attention. Canadian website Playgroundology wrote “I would hazard a guess that Richardson is defining a niche of playful, minimalist music. Reminiscent of Steve Reich, I love the inventiveness, the audacity and the fun.”
Richardson’s collaboration with London-based Naviar Records has seen his music played at exhibitions in England, and productions from their musicians performed in Narrandera as part of the 2017 Crossing Streams exhibition curated by Richardson for Western Riverina Arts.
Griffith Regional Art Gallery Coordinator, Ray Wholohan said, “Jason has an unconventional approach to art-making that is grounded in and informed by conventions of the past. His interdisciplinary approach is shaped by concepts found in literature and poetry, classical and modern art as well as underground music.”
“Jason has been active as artist, cultural-maker and curator for many years now and we are proud to present his exhibition as part of our 2019 program,” Mr Wholohan continued.
The exhibition will also launch Richardson’s innovative publication blending Haiku style poetry from 17th Century Japan and the Cut-up Technique from 20th Century France, that establishes a collaboration between author and reader. Copies available from the Gallery.
Earthwords & Soundscaping runs from Saturday 28 September until Sunday 27October 2019.
