EXHIBITION: MARLEY DAWSON – BOX OF BIRDS

In Newzild (that’s to Kiwis what Strine is to us), ‘a box of birds,’ is the standard reply to, ‘how are ya?’ striking a note somewhere along the lines of, ‘bonza’ – in spanking rude health. But according to artist Marley Dawson it also contains ironic undertones of, ‘kinda out of kilter,’ – a tension he sets to free up a little in his exhibition. Taking the form of solid yet somehow ephemeral sculptural boxes, rather than the medium the making itself is the message. Their mechanics revealed, one box puffs smoke, another painting asks to be shifted a bit to the left, please (and gallery packers the world over rejoice!) Made of simple products like plywood, polyester and mild steel, assigned cosily intimate names like Simeon, Jesse and Katie, you could be mistaken for thinking you’d wandered into a handyman’s wet dream. But there is something deceptively complex at play here. Box of birds? That’d be right.

Until Sept 12, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, 8 Soudan Ln Paddington, 9331 1919 or roslynoxley9.com.au