In The Cut

Overview

At first mention, collage may seem like that lost art form you left behind in Year 4 art class. Yeah, we all made a few sweet Clag-laden masterpieces, but we don't see many 'BfFs 5EvA' montages hanging in contemporary art galleries these days.

We sense ACCA's new exhibition, In The Cut, may be a little different. For starters, collage and assemblage have a strong tradition with social and political activism. Stretching as far back as the photomontages of Hannah Hoch in Weimar Germany, the act of re-appropriating imagery has always been inherently political. This group exhibition featuring the work of 16 international and local artists, will span the mediums of drawing, sculpture, prints, and photography — all with a focus on historical and contemporary collage.

Some artists to note include Linder Sterling whose work is synonymous with the London punk and post-punk scene; Ellen Gallagher who dissects the representation of race in print media; and Richard Larter, a local addition whose work revolves around Australia's socio-political history in the 1980s.

ACCA claims the exhibition will perfectly complement Tacita Dean's monumental work FILM — a piece on show as part of the Melbourne Festival. And of course, the two collections absolutely have crossover — both are tactfully concerned with the mechanics of art production. However, from all the talent on show, it's clear In The Cut will be a standout in itself. This free exhibition is open from October 10 to November 24.

Image: Pretty Girls by Linder Sterling, courtesy of Stuart Shave / Modern Art, London.