Dog Whistlers

Background: Artwork investigates expanded field of drawing practice as a critical mode of political satire overlapping private-public political dialogues. Framed by key texts on political agency and art practice: Layton, R (2003) 'Art and Agency: A reassessment', Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, Sep, 447-465. and political communication studies: Barry Hindness (2014) Whistling the dog, Studies in Australian Political Rhetoric. Related to satirical traditions from Honoré Daumier, The Legislative Belly, lithograph (1834) to Raymond Pettibon, Independent Projects, New York (2014). Work considers how cartoon-carciature and autographic writing as deforming gesture in encounter in art, transfer moral agency to the spectator. Contribution: Work reformulates the poltical caricature as a form of poltical dialogue. A group of 42 framed, mixed media works On walls of exhibition space array of 126 graphic effigies of Australian Federal parliamentarians, presented as speech bubbles for the audience to complete with hand-written text face each other across a dessicated dog presented on a plinth Research suggests froms of political cartooning including viewer agency establish poltical critique through self-identification with grotesque political body. Significance Work part of curated program at Sarah Scout Presents, Melbourne. The Sarah Scout Gallery develops opportunities for "outstanding early to mid-career artists with critically engaged conceptual practices" and represents "artists in a range of local and international situations" (see link). Exhibited artists include Bianca Hester, Lou Hubbard and Kit Wise. 'Dog Whistlers is a development from Ph.D project, 'Manifesto Drawing: Political Cynicism, Cartooning and Art' Peer press reviews include Dylan Rainforth (2014) Dug-up dog and whistlers, Sydney Morning Herald, 8/7/2014 http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/dugup-dog-and-whistlers-20140708-zszv5.html