David Griggs: Between Nature and Sin

Overview

Manila and Sydney-based Australian artist David Griggs has the first major survey of his work kicking off at Campbelltown Arts Centre with Between Nature and Sin.

Curated by Megan Monte, the exhibition sees a combination of portraiture, photography and film developed in Griggs' adopted home of the Philippines. Inspired by his personal experiences as an Australian artist in Manila (where he's lived and worked for 12 years), the brazenly colourful show draws on underground media, political imagery and local subcultures to illuminate the darker side of life in the city.

CAC director Michael Dagostino describes the exhibition as a "poignant narrative layered with personal stories, tribulations and defining moments of adjusting to life in Manila, a city he [Griggs] says 'tests him constantly' but inspires him to keep creating."

You'll see the premiere of Griggs' major feature length film COWBOY COUNTRY, which he produced with the inmates of the Manila city jail, plus 2009 project New York London Paris Rome Manila City Jail. There's also Zombie Kiss and Frat of the Obese, which draws from the symbols and stories of the Manila underground scene to highlight what Griggs sees as the unjust socio-political structures of the Philippines.

In other words, it's a massive show. Don't miss it.

Image: David Griggs, Zoloft Nation [cropped], 2009, courtesy of Germanos Collection.