Long Knives – Rhys Lee

Clowns, gargoyles, and grotesqueries are currently adorning the walls of the Arthouse Gallery in Rushcutters Bay.

A viewing of Rhys Lee’s Long Knives is a tumble onto the precipice between laughter and pain, a tightrope stroll along the edge of perversion and perfection.

Consisting of multimedia works of sculpture and painting, Lee’s faces resemble carnival masks with their long noses and wide mouths. Yet within the familiar forms lurk gnashing teeth and snarling fangs waiting to grip and twist everyday perceptions into glimpses of a darker realm. This is art that takes the known, such as the beloved Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz, and transforms him into Straw House – a sad, beaten, and sinister statue staring indignantly into space.

Alternatively seductive and repulsive, these curious works represent an artist who is unafraid to confront conventional norms and is willing to disturb the traditional, to tramp unusual creative paths. (LR)

Until Sep 6, Arthouse Gallery, 66 McLachlan Ave, Rushcutters Bay, free, arthousegallery.com.au