Alongside its collection of Margaret Olley's works, Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art is giving another exceptional Australian artist some attention until Sunday, October 13: Ben Quilty. Across a free exhibition simply entitled Quilty, more than 70 pieces will showcase his work from the early 2000s onwards — including his intimate looks at his own reflection, his time spent as an official war artist in Afghanistan, and his response to other topical events, including the last American election.
Quilty's expressive portraits, both of himself and of others — such as executed Bali 9 drug smuggler Myuran Sukumaran — are quite a striking sight. His Rorschach paintings are too, unsurprisingly. And, they're designed not just to catch the eye, but to explore the dark undercurrent of violence and displacement that lurks in the Australian psyche.
Including paintings inspired by his visits to Lebanon, Syria and Greece, the exhibition marks the first major survey of Quilty's artistic output in a decade. For the QAGOMA Children's Art Centre, it also features the interactive Ben Quilty: Family Portrait.
Image: Ben Quilty. Australia, born 1973. Rorschach after von Guérard. 2009. Oil and synthetic polymer paint on linen (12 panels) / 230.0 x 804.0 cm (overall). Acquired 2009, TarraWarra Museum of Art. Courtesy the artist. Photograph: Jeremy Dillon.