Gravity System Response

Overview

This week, Sydney welcomes Melbourne-based artist Ash Keating for a live install of Gravity System Response, his first public project in Sydney. Keating has shown around Australia and internationally, including at the National Gallery of Victoria and in Tokyo, Seoul and Jogyakarta, but it's a rare chance to see him in action. Especially to watch his unique process of using the high-pressure force of fire extinguishers to spray paint metres into the air.

Part outdoor mural, part performance art, Gravity System Response draws on Keating's background in graffiti, video, conceptual work and performance art to create "camouflage paintings" in response to the colours and energy of the space around them. The name of the work is a reference to the gravity effect of working with paint so high up. Keating plays with gradient and drips, making decisions on the fly as he lets the work "build itself".

As well as an exploration of energy, abstraction, gravity and colour, Gravity System Response is a celebration of the place of art and public space in cities; it aims to support a vibrant, open city full of art, music and culture. The work is set to be a timely piece as Sydney debates how (and when and how late) we use public spaces and the role that art has to play in the life of a city.

Keen to see it all come to life? The live-action artmaking is taking place at The Domain from Wednesday, December 5–Thursday, December 6, between 11am–2pm. Keep an eye on the Facebook event to find out more details, including the exact location.

This new work is presented by the City of Sydney's Art & About program and curated by Billie and Elliott Routledge of Funstudio.