Brent Harris / John Meade

Brent Harris (b. 1956) is one of Australia’s foremost contemporary artists, widely recognised as both a painter and printmaker. Born in Te Papaioea Palmerston North, Aotearoa New Zealand, Harris moved to Melbourne in 1981 and began his studies at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) the subsequent year. Throughout much of his career, Harris has explored the psychoanalytically-charged space between abstraction and figuration. Consistent with this has been his fascination with the subconscious and dream states. Harris’ compositions at times pulse with libidinal energies, though the drives and memories they draw from are often disquieting. Harris’ exploration of this terrain is guided by his close study of artists and art history; as well as reflections on his personal and familial histories. At times this has extended to responses to current events which have had a distinct impact on Harris’ life and those around him, such as in 'The Stations' (1989) series. Through hard edge geometric abstract forms, this group of fourteen paintings and corresponding series of aquatints describes Harris’ reflection on the impacts of the HIV/AIDS crisis via the biblical narrative of Jesus Christ’s journey through judgement to death. Harris’ also draws particular inspiration from his dedicated studio practice, where he privileges chance, intuition and experimentation as sources for creative insight. Across a career of nearly four decades, Harris’ art has been the subject of a number of major solo exhibitions including Just a Feeling: Brent Harris Selected works 1987–2005, Ian Potter Museum of Art, Melbourne, curated by Bala Starr; and Swamp Op, Art Gallery of Western Australia, curated by Robert Cook (both 2006). In 2012 a significant monographic exhibition opened at the NGV International, Naarm Melbourne, curated by Jane Devery (2012). Auckland Art Gallery Toi O Tamaki presented in 2023 Harris’ first major solo survey exhibition in Aotearoa New Zealand, The Other Side, also curated by Devery. Later that year, Harris’ first retrospective Surrender & Catch, curated by Maria Zagala, premiered at TarraWarra Museum of Art, Victoria, and in 2024 the exhibition toured in an expanded form to the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Combining the rigours of geometry with soft organic forms, John Meade (b. 1956) works in an intuitive way to materialise his ideas, creating tightly orchestrated pieces that explore the metaphysical, the surreal and the erotic. Meade’s use of colour, material, and surface, culminate in eccentric and immaculate sculptures that claim space with a formidable presence. Born in Ballarat, the Naarm/Melbourne-based sculptor is one of Australia’s leading artists and has held regular exhibitions with galleries and museums since 1995. Selected solo exhibitions include: *Sign Language*, RMIT Project Space, Melbourne (2021); *Something for Everyone*, Sutton Gallery, Melbourne (2019); *Set Pieces*, Sutton Gallery, Melbourne (2016); *Autumn 2014*, Sutton Gallery, Melbourne (2014); *Objects to Live By: The Art of John Meade*, Latrobe Valley Regional Gallery and touring nationally (2010–11); *Show Business*, Sutton Gallery, Melbourne (2009); *Incident in the Museum 2: John Meade*, Monash University Museum of Art (MUMA), Melbourne (2005); *Dreamer*, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, Melbourne (2004); *Objects and Protestations*, Sutton Gallery, Melbourne (2003); *Propulsion*, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA), Melbourne and Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), Sydney, (both 2001). Selected group exhibitions include: *LAZAR!*, Haydens Gallery, Melbourne (2022); *Who’s Afraid of Public Space?*, ACCA, Melbourne (2022); *Connecting the World through Sculpture: In the Air*, MUMA, Melbourne (2021); *…(illegible)…*, MADA Gallery, Melbourne (2019); *Brent Harris/John Meade*, Neon Parc, Melbourne (2018); *TarraWarra Biennial: From Will to Form*, TarraWarra Museum of Art, Healesville (2018); *Benglis 73/74*, Neon Parc in association with Sutton Project Space and TCB, Melbourne (2014); *The Gathering ll: A Survey of Australian Sculpture*, Wangaratta Art Gallery, Wangaratta, 2014; *Sleep on the Left Side*, Gallery Seven Art, New Delhi (2012); *ShContemporary 08*, Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair, China (2008); *Before The Body – Matter*, MUMA, Melbourne (2006); *Adventures with Form in Space*, AGNSW, Sydney (2006); *21st Century Modern: Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art*, Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA), Adelaide (2006). Meade has completed numerous public sculptural commissions including: *Asterisk Kolam* (2020), ARM Architecture/MUMA, for the Monash Chancellery, Clayton; *Love Flower* (2019), Southern Way McClelland 2018 Commission, Melbourne; *Everyday Devotional* (2016), Sunland, Abian commission, Brisbane; *Riverside Corolla* (2011), DEXUS Southgate commission, Melbourne; *Progeny* (2006), Heide Museum of Modern Art, Melbourne; *Aqualung* (2006), Victoria Harbour, Melbourne; and *Mean Yellow* (2000), Arts Centre for the Melbourne International Arts Festival. Meade received his PhD in Fine Art from Monash University, Melbourne in 2017. He was a recipient of the Samstag Scholarship (UniSA), through which he completed a Master of Studio Art at New York University in 2004. He is currently an Honorary (Fellow) in Art, Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), University of Melbourne. Artist residencies include the VCA/Art+Australia Phasmid Studio Residency in Berlin in 2019, and the India Asialink residency in 1998. Meade’s work is held in public and private collections throughout Australia. He is represented by Sutton Gallery, Melbourne.