Rodney Pople | Lie of the Land
Rodney Pople | Lie of the Land
Installation View, Courtesy of ACP & Michael Waite.
31 May – 17 August 2014
Rodney Pople uses photography as an imperceptible backdrop for his new series of disquieting paintings. Showcasing new works of wild animals, Lie of the Land investigates the dark depths of humankind by drawing attention to the artificial nature of religious, colonial and political authorities.
Lie of the Land continues Rodney Pople’s investigation of the dark depths of humankind. For this new exhibition, the artist travelled to Kenya to photograph wild animals that challenge the human belief of absolute dominance. Using photography as a backdrop to his paintings, Pople’s complex visual layering of material and contexts reflects the complexities of his conceptual approach. The large-scale close-up portraits suggest the paradox of human relationships with the wild, where the conceited will of domestication is merging with the absolute terror of the unknown. Resonating with the disturbing image of bodies and body parts strung up from a Goyaesque tree, the paintings of beasts in historical institutions suggest the disappearance of humans. As in most of Pople’s works, Lie of the Land draws attention to the artificial and contrived nature of human authorities.
This exhibition contains sexual and graphic content, which some viewers may find disturbing. Not suitable for viewers under the age of 18.
