This month a careful selection of works by artist John Young is on show in the intimate ARC ONE. Young was born in Hong Kong but is an artist frequently exhibited both locally and internationally. Young's abstract paintings appear organic and wholesome, like dappled light and blurry photographs. They are in fact the result of Young's meticulous digital reconstruction of images translated onto linen. It is perhaps this methodical dedication in Young's practice that puts his viewers at ease. The seamless marrying of contemporary digital practice to an ancient medium is undeniably impressive.
Silent Transformations is presented in three stages, the Fairweather Transformation, Shiva and The Mute Palace, in addition to the large scale Naïve and Sentimental Painting XXII. ARC ONE promotes this new collection as 'engaging with metamorphosis and the sublime'. This translates well visually, and the Fairweather Transformations (so named after wandering artist Ian Fairweather) appear suitably obscure, the Shiva series are darker and clearer in form, evolving to the blocky collage and figuration of The Mute Palace works. The curation tells a story of the evolution of form, however but the block colour digital print and paint combination of The Mute Palace jarringly opposes its abstracted counterparts.
Pascalle Bailey is currently studying Art History and Curating at Monash University and works as an Honorary Curator of the Peter O’Callaghan QC Gallery.
