Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts presents the first survey exhibition of Wairarapa-based artist Brendon Wilkinson. Hexon Cusp. Decade showcases the largest quantity of Wilkinson’s artworks assembled to date, bringing an artist to the fore who over the past decade has produced a multifaceted range of sculptures and paintings.
Wilkinson first established his career in Auckland and became known for his meticulously detailed architectural models. His sculptures frequently depict ‘dead zones’ - derelict areas which are staged in the aftermath of an incident wherein the viewer has few clues to unpack what has occurred. In Pile of Illusions a solitary figure lies motionless on the side of the pool with firearms scattered across a nearby table. While in Untitled (Waihopai Spy Base) a solitary van is left immobilised in the car park of the controversial spy base. As Wilkinson states: “I’m interested in depicting scenarios which invite viewers to create their own interpretations. My sculptures are an open invitation to fill in the gaps of a narrative only partially given.”
There is an element of humour in Wilkinson’s sculptures not found in an architect’s model. Figures and objects on the edge of a model inadvertently get sliced in half - as if their world is confined to an invisible field surrounding the sculpture. The sliced figure is a recurring motif which carries through to Wilkinson’s figurative paintings, where the artist frequently exposes the internal organs of his subjects. Wilkinson's later paintings have begun to meld this dream-like imagery with science fiction and images from the occult.
Hexon Cusp. Decade is an expanded version of the exhibition mounted earlier this year at Arotoi: The Wairarapa Museum of Art and History. Brendon Wilkinson is represented by Ivan Anthony, Auckland and Peter McLeavey Gallery, Wellington.