Michael Kennedy | Rise of the Turnips

Opening: Tues 2nd March, 5.30 – 7pm
2nd - 20th March 2010

In Michael Kennedy’s exhibition Rise of the Turnips, light hearted satire of contemporary culture and its increasing co-dependence on technology is characterised in the form of cute and curious illustrations.

Influenced by American Pop-surrealism, the artist presents us with cuddly and innocent archetypes, often framed within the format of a portrait. These creatures appear friendly, like easy company, but with their insomniac eyes and bewildered expressions, almost seem to be victims of their own plight. The depiction of fictional characters - much like those seen in the superabundance of children’s television programmes- as vegetables extends the well known phrase ‘couch-potato’ to an overwhelming reality. Transgressive metaphors refer to a blurred sense of identity, in which it becomes difficult to distinguish one’s own reality from its representations.

Kennedy’s move toward more painterly surface qualities empowers his response to the language of the media. The luscious paint announces the presence of the artist who applied it in order to communicate the images. Reminding us that what we see is the product of a free imagination, and that we too are not mere passive observers of the media, but living beings who can respond with originality, creativity, and therefore celebration.

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