“Roparville - A Ten Year Survey”

This ten year survey show of artist Dennis Ropar’s work is a Pop Art ‘Tour De Force!’

2011 marks the ten-year evolution of Dennis Ropar as a pop artist. This auspicious show presents works from the artist’s various series of the past decade. The length and breadth of this exciting exhibition demonstrates how Ropar is at the top of his game; an artist who is a master showman, willing to take risks and explore many themes and stylistic oeuvres. This survey show has been made possible by the generosity of a private collector, who has agreed to release works for sale from Ropar’s: Fetish, Rococo, Pin Up Splatter, Titterliser, Roparville & Real Love series to celebrate his ten year milestone as a successful artist.

Dennis is also re-surfacing works from his own collection and other private collections; such as his early stencils, Wonderland and Ropar’s Circus. The early stencils herald the beginning of an art career that started from a street theme that evolved into a fine art context. Ropar completes this journey with a new series ‘Aussie Icons’ – classic cars of the 1970’s.

This ‘survey show’ represents a culmination of the discourses he has explored previously; issues such as US cultural dominance; mass production and consumption; object fetishism; gender politics; drug culture; sex as commodity; and even contemporary arts practice itself. The artist’s clever use of irony means that he not only gets away with such serious social commentary but he also cheekily avoids didacticism. Ropar’s iconic imagery blends hyper-sexuality with art history and popular culture as a mode of incorporating art into everyday life.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2011 Jackman Gallery Melbourne, “Roparville - A Ten Year Survey”
2010 Jackman Gallery Melbourne, “Ropar's Circus”
2009 Jackman Gallery Melbourne, "Real Love"
2008 Jackman Gallery Melbourne, “Roparville”
2008 United Gallery, Sydney, “Cowboys, Pin-ups & Bling”
2007 Masterpiece at DXL, Hobart, “Product”
2007 Greenwood Gallery, Melbourne, “Disposable”
2006 Span Galleries, Melbourne, “Behind Closed Doors”
2006 Church Studios, Adelaide, ‘Behind Closed Doors”
2006 Fad Gallery, Melbourne, “Leatherbound Women”
2006 Pop Shop by Ropar, Melbourne, “Leatherbound Women”
2006 Pop Shop by Ropar, Melbourne, “100 Ropars No Reserve”
2006 Fad Gallery, Adelaide, “100 Ropars No Reserve”
2005 Pop Shop by Ropar, Melbourne, “Wonderland”
2005 Span Gallery, Melbourne, “America We Love You”
2005 Pop Shop by Ropar, Melbourne, “America We Love You”
2005 Wall Gallery, Melbourne, “What Is Ropar"
2004 Blackkab Gallery, Brisbane “What Is Ropar”
2004 Fad Gallery, Melbourne, “What Is Ropar”
2004 Telstra Building, Melbourne, “Icons”
2004 Richard Hosking, Adelaide, “Pin Ups”
2004 Affordable Art Fair, Melbourne
2004 Rex Livingstone Fine Arts, Sydney, “god save America 11”
2004 Kalli Rolfe Contemporary Art, Melbourne, “-goes dotti”
2004 Dream, Melbourne, “Pink”
2003 Kalli Rolfe Contemporary Art, Melbourne, "god save America 11”
2003 Elliot Salon, Melbourne, “My Funny Valentine”
2002 Rex Livingstone Fine Arts, Sydney, “Cowboys Again”
2002 Jackman Gallery, Melbourne, “Dennis Ropar & Darrell Hall”
2002 Span Galleries, Melbourne, “Product”
2002 Showgirls Bar 20, Melbourne, “Wet Dreams"
2001 Kula Lotrscak, Zagreb, “Melbourne Life”
2001 Mansour & Hill Gallery, Melbourne, “Hommage”
2001 Mansour & Hill Gallery, Melbourne, “Cowboys Do It Better”
2001 QDOS Gallery, Melbourne, “On The Road”
2000 Aardwolf Gallery, Melbourne, “Blimps In Cities”
2000 Aardwolf Gallery, Melbourne, “Paintings On Pailings”
2000 Aardwolf Gallery, Melbourne, “Works On Paper and Sculptures”
1999 Span Galleries, Melbourne, “A Cowboy, His Horse and a Hose”
1998 Span galleries, Melbourne, “Wanna Be A Cowboy”

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2008 Jackman Gallery Melbourne, “Group Sculpture”
2008 United Gallery Sydney, “Hip Pop”