Given the current state of the world today with Covid-19, social distancing has been made into a new social norm. As a result, this exhibition was very aptly named as “Awkward Hug”. Although Victoria are doing considerably better in comparison to other parts of the world in terms of containing the virus, there is still that awkward tethering on a lockdown or to revert back to life as we once know it.
As for the exhibition itself, the works individually were very strong. There were a variety of paintings, photography, sculpture and even diorama. There were many works which stood out, though I was particularly drawn to Sharon West’s collection of small scale oil paintings, framed by ornate gold frames. From first glance, the works appear as a series of miniature, pastoral landscapes. Yet on closer examination, West has cleverly interrupted the scene with science fiction or fantastical characters that would not normally be seen in such contained, traditional landscapes. The element of the surreal within the frame causes the viewer to pause and to study the work more closely.
Maggie Brown’s And so it goes on artist book was also an intriguing work. From the beginning of the book, Brown writes about sitting and knitting socks. Like that of the rest of the world, most of us would be sitting around, doing fairly repetitive, indoor tasks to deal with the lockdown restrictions. But in the next pages, the socks take on a life of their own, with her narrative describing the subtlest of details: the sound of mynah birds, or a leaf blower in the neighbourhood. The soft, washed tones of the illustrations are delicate, yet possess a similar detail to that of botanical books. Her close analysis on the subtlest of details perhaps conveys to us, as audiences of lockdown restrictions, a different way of looking at a quieter and less lively world.
Although the curating of this exhibition was successful, particularly in the third space, there was very little connection of the works as a group to the title of the exhibition. Yet this might have been the point. As mentioned earlier, the conditions of Covid-19 has prevented artists from working closely together as a group and isolation has made socialising a lot more awkward. After all, how can there be a seamless unity when artists are forced to work in isolation? This is an issue that artists and curators alike have had to grapple with. Perhaps, with the rising popularity and usage of social media platforms (e.g. Instagram and Facebook), artists can use these tools to communicate with one another and collate on ideas.
Overall, this was a successful exhibition that had a little bit of everything. As a result, this will keep the viewer’s eye and mind busy, and unlike the Covid-19 lockdowns, would find it difficult to get bored. However, this is not the sort of exhibition to rush through, for there can be messages lost if works are glanced for a moment (especially in regards to Sharon West’s work). I would recommend this exhibition to those who are not only art lovers, but who are very much interested in the local art scene.
Critical Art Writings 
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