White Rabbit

I must admit I had never really thought about contemporary Chinese art, and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in that. I think most people could not even contrive a mental picture, but instead a default image of some ancient Chinese artifact might spring to mind.

When I was commissioned to do a portrait of Judith Neilson, the powerhouse founder of White Rabbit Gallery, I did a bit of Google snooping on what exactly encompasses Chinese modern art. Well, quite a lot it seems.

In my limited understanding, since the fall of Communism/ rise of Consumerism and exposure to Western influences- good and bad- free thinking artists from the Worlds biggest economic powerhouse,  unconstrained by purism or tradition and with space and materials, are free to create some seriously whack stuff that defies belief

I particularly enjoyed the latest hanging, with pieces like a full scale Beijing jeep made from tiny triangles of twisted wire, or a full scale alley scene made of embroidery- yes- embroidery. Lets not mention two traditional Chinese garments knitted from a Chinese/English dictionary, so that the alphabetic characters are still visible in the "wool"

Many of the works are so excruciatingly complex in their craft and construction that the appreciation of art itself is diluted by the appreciation of its execution.

Housed in a gorgeous renovated building in Chippendale, with free entry, its a must see and a MF of note.