Ken Unsworth: The House of Blue Leaves

Overview

Despite the potential reputational consequences to me as a researcher, I am shocked to report to you that Ken Unsworth does not have a Wikipedia page*. Yes, an Australian artist who has been showing for more than 40 years, is collected in significant public galleries and has shown at Biennales and other important art things does not merit a Wiki entry, but Googling "Unsworth" + "poo on sticks" gets a couple of pages of hits (you know about Stones Against the Sky, that sculpture in the Cross).

Luckily Unsworth seems to have a pretty good sense of humour about his art, even subtitling his forthcoming collaborative performance at the Art gallery of New South Wales 'An Evening of Irreverent Entertainment.' This show sees four dancers incorporate the artist's sculpture and installation work with movement, accompanied by a score composed by Jonathan Cooper and performed by cabaret artist Natalie Gamsu, a counter-tenor and some boy sopranos. Humour and drama will be suggested by the artworks and build on them visually as images and dramatically as situations. Additional commentary on the interpretation is to be expected, too, with AGNSW allocating a set of "tweet seats" for commentators on the first night.

*I was only there to check dates, okay?