Neil Haddon

Overview

Tasmania has a lot to offer the world — grass-fed beef, Mary Donaldson, and, not least of all, Neil Haddon. Having exhibited his sharp lines and collaged offerings in solo exhibitions since the mid-'90s, Neil Haddon has been represented by Dianne Tanzer gallery + projects for over a decade, and his most recent exhibition is a celebration of this enduring partnership.

At first glance, his latest mixed-media graphic style work, shown in Los Angeles last year, brings to mind the designs of a trendy M83 LP or the current issue of IdN magazine. One only needs to look a little closer to discover that amidst his hand-painted, collaged layers an unexpectedly sombre subject matter is being examined — the complexities of migrant dissonance and dislocation. Once you're aware of this, the pieces take on a whole new, deeper quality that transcends their aesthetic worth.