Craig O'Shanesy: Confluent Decay

Overview

Craig O'Shanesy doesn't just enlighten bright young minds about visual arts — the educator also puts his teachings into practice. It's fitting, then, that an exhibition of his work will adorn the walls at Gallery 61 at the Queensland Academies Creative Industries Campus.

Confluent Decay tries to reconcile two parts of modern life. One one side sits the fact that the possibility of a dystopian future isn't just something we see in science fiction films, but lurks in the back of our minds; and on the other, the on-the-go, always-online enthusiasm we pump into cyberspace each and every day. Where the two concepts combine, an interrogation of control, order and categorisation blossoms.

That's the theoretical side of things. In his technique, O'Shanesy merges landscapes and portraits with virtual imagery. Expect a collection of oil paintings that blend the real world with its internet counterpart as a result, as well as an emotional journey into fiction, memory, reality and history.