In music, sampling is the process of taking a pre-existing piece of recorded material and reusing it to create something new yet undeniably familiar. It’s a way of cutting and pasting an interesting lyric or break to be born anew in a different context.
Originally born out of necessity, patchwork was a way of making fabrics last longer. Once a garment was worn out, it was cut into patches and sewn together with other pieces of fabric to create a “new” useful item.
A collage, from the French word coller; meaning to stick, is a collection of disparate items combined to create something new. While my practice is primarily painting based, I employ collage and assemblage techniques to create layers of imagery, text and motif.
Much like a musical sample or patchwork fabric, I reuse and recycle previous works and canvas, cutting them up and casting them amongst new landscapes. I refer to these as “contemporary leftovers”, a collection of disjointed stories, themes and ideas sewn together across time and space.
This process is as much about building a
personal iconography as it is putting together the pieces of a puzzle.
Driven by a desire to create, construct and connect; collage and assemblage
allow me join the dots between past work and new ideas.
Rehgan De Mather October 2009
SOLO
EXHIBITIONS
2009 Movement Mashes, Linton and Kay Contemporary - Perth
2008 Chinese Whispers and Chain Reactions, Gippsland Art Gallery - Sale
2008 The Last of What’s Left, Jackman Gallery – St. Kilda
2007 I’d Like to Dance With You Cowwarr Art Space – Cowwar
2007 Overload Groundfloor Gallery - Sydney
2006 Pretty When You Lie Artworks Gallery – Southport
2006 Graphic Exploits and other Gratuities blank_space - Sydney
2005 Contemporary Leftovers Latrobe Regional Gallery - Morwell
2005 Boxing Clever Cowwarr Art Space - Cowwarr
2005 Words, Music and Mayhem Jackman Gallery - St Kilda
2004 Ignite Jackman Gallery - St Kilda
2003 Nocturnal Selections Stella Dimadis Galleries - Melbourne
2003 Travelling without Moving Gippsland Art Gallery - Sale
2003 Art Boy vs. Bar Boy Switchback Gallery - Churchill
2002 Moderns Gods Glen Eira City Gallery - Caulfield
2001 Fine Focus: Recent Work Cowwarr Art Space - Cowwarr
SELECTED GROUP SHOWS
2008 Matryoshka Principle, Pine Street Gallery – Sydney
2008 Bus Gallery – Melbourne
2008, Hockey Plot, West Space Gallery – Melbourne
2008 Gippsland Art Gallery – Sale, Cowwarr Art Space - Cowwarr
2007 Going to Town Blindside Gallery – Melbourne
2007 Teasers Groundfloor Gallery - Sydney
2006 New Energies Meeniyan Art Gallery - Meeniyan
2006 West Gippsland Art Centre - Warragul
2006 Cowwarr Art Space - Cowwarr
2006 ARC Gallery – Yinnar
2005 Summer Takeaway Cowwarr Art Space - Cowwarr
2004 Works on Paper Jackman Gallery – St. Kilda
2004 Not for the Dinner Table Stella Dimadis Galleries - Melbourne
2003 Blue Jackman Gallery – St. Kilda
2003 Urban Life Jackman Gallery - St. Kilda
2002 From the Stable Cowwarr Art Space - Cowwarr
2001 Textual Gippsland Art Gallery - Sale
2001 Work: Cut, Paste, Paint, Create, Burn Faculty Gallery - Caulfield
2000 Exploring the self Gippsland Art Gallery – Sale
2000 Nicholson St. Gallery - Bairnsdale
2000 First Site Gallery - Melbourne
2000 Gippsland Centre for Art and Design
2000 Faculty Gallery – Caulfield
2000 Switchback Gallery - Churchill
2000 Beyond Zone 1 Cowwarr Art Space - Cowwarr
2000 It’s a Big, Big World Faculty Gallery - Caulfield
AWARDS
2009 Finalist, Black Swan Portrait Prize
2009 Finalist, Agendo Art Award
2009 Finalist, Sunshine Coast Art Prize
2008 Finalist, Arc Yinnar Drawing Prize
2007 Finalist, City of Whyalla Art Prize
2007 Finalist, Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship
2007 Finalist, Prometheus Art Award
2006 Finalist, John Leslie Art Prize
2006 Finalist, Arc Yinnar Drawing Prize
2004 Finalist, Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship
2002 Finalist, 32nd Alice Springs Art Prize
2002 Finalist, John Leslie Art Prize
2000 Semi - Finalist - Arts Award, Young Australian of the Year Awards
2000 Regional Arts Development Grant, Arts Victoria
2000 Aurora Australis Award, Spiritual Art and the Imagination
COLLECTIONS
Sale College, Cowwarr Art Space, Cowwarr, Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale
Private Collections, Australia & Singapore
Rehgan is also represented by Cowwarr Art
Space (VIC) and Linton and Kay Contemporary (WA)
TRIBAL INDUSTRIAL
LOST IN SPACE
CONSTRUCTING CAELUM
THE LAST DANCE
MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR
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