‘Power ‘ by Bernie Slater
16th August, 6pm

Power is a critical and satirical look at contemporary culture. The exhibition contains a multitude of drawings, collages and digital design sourced from suburbia, cyberspace, mass media and travels to Indonesia. Parts of it kinda feel like the internet on paper – full of haters, confusion and disparate information. Parts of it reflect on how we may wield, or be subject to Power. Parts of it are made for you to push back into the world, inviting cheeky interventions into your surroundings.

The centerpiece of this exhibition is the free “Power” boxes, faux-retail products  which embrace the titillation and familiarity of consumption, but question the cultural landscape that they are a part of. The artworks emulate the confusion of information overload, the angst of social media and comments sections as well as the dynamics of power and complacency in everyday life.

The Power boxes are free to take, but don’t bother trying to open up all the contents in the gallery. You’ll just feel clumsy and end up dropping shit everywhere. Take the box home or to work, sit down and fold it out. Show it to your Mum.

Bernie Slater is a Canberra artist whose work focuses on political and social issues, working broadly across many areas, including drawing, printmaking, collage and digital media.  Many of Slater’s works involve defaced surfaces such as magazine pages, advertising and objects to address notions of power, cultural identity and affluence with a good measure of biting humour.