The first Australian solo exhibition by award-winning New Zealand artist Luke Willis Thompson, Misadventure is a celebratory showcase; however it is also much more than that. Chronicling the first five years of his creative efforts, it acts as a time lapse. Each piece provides a glimpse of his emotions, ideas and artistic expressions at a certain moment, allowing viewers to see how things changed and morphed in relation to his next work.
Given that Thompson explores the concept of colonial legacy in his output, capturing and then comparing his efforts over a distinctive period certainly leaves a lasting impact. Across three conceptual sculpture and film projects, he ponders racial politics in a reconfiguration of Andy Warhol's screen tests, and examines social traumas in a pair of pieces reflective of complex histories.
Separately, each of the trio makes a statement; together, they shout Thompson's thoughts and feelings at the audience. Evoking a reaction to volatile meanings is what he does best, after all — as winning the 2014 Walter's Prize, New Zealand's most prestigious art award, attests.
Image: Luke Willis Thompson Sucu Mate / Born Dead, 2016, installation view: Hopkinson Mossman, Auckland. Courtesy the artist and Hopkinson Mossman.