HOW NOT TO BE SEEN
The work of Ash Lieb deals in the absurd. "How not to be seen" is an exhibit of the vast contrast of absurdity in the world around us. While one element of the exhibition deals with the laughter, nonsense and ridicule of absurd or surreal humour the other deals with the philosophical definition of absurdism regarding the conflict between pursuing the meaning of life and the inability to find it.
With a title that references the absurd humour of Monty Python, "How not to be seen" is an exhibit full of pop surrealist artworks that rest precisely between the size of a can of Campbell's soup and the size of any of Warhol's soup paintings for an exhibit where most pieces are sized about thirty centimetres each. Lieb, who works digitally using photographs, drawings and found objects, composes each image in minute exquisite detail upon a computer screen in a process the artist likens to a kind of digital finger-painting.
The digital imagery in "How not to be seen" has been created by Lieb over the past six years, commencing during Lieb’s university days when the artist was fighting a rare and aggressive variety of cancer. Ash Lieb, who credits much of his creativity to cancer and madness, underwent surgery for a rare brain tumour in 2003 and then later in 2007 whilst studying a Visual arts degree at Ballarat University.
Every humorous or philosophical image in Lieb’s latest exhibition has been made locally by the artist using a little piece of the artist's home town of Ballarat in every artwork, including things that people might not take much notice of, such as the bush land views of Brown Hill, the street corners of Wendouree, the gardens of Alfredton, or the many sunsets of Mount Helen and Buninyong. And so in "How not to be seen" Ash Lieb once again looks at the little things.
"How not to be seen" runs at Red Brick Gallery from 18th - 31st January 2013.
With a title that references the absurd humour of Monty Python, "How not to be seen" is an exhibit full of pop surrealist artworks that rest precisely between the size of a can of Campbell's soup and the size of any of Warhol's soup paintings for an exhibit where most pieces are sized about thirty centimetres each. Lieb, who works digitally using photographs, drawings and found objects, composes each image in minute exquisite detail upon a computer screen in a process the artist likens to a kind of digital finger-painting.
The digital imagery in "How not to be seen" has been created by Lieb over the past six years, commencing during Lieb’s university days when the artist was fighting a rare and aggressive variety of cancer. Ash Lieb, who credits much of his creativity to cancer and madness, underwent surgery for a rare brain tumour in 2003 and then later in 2007 whilst studying a Visual arts degree at Ballarat University.
Every humorous or philosophical image in Lieb’s latest exhibition has been made locally by the artist using a little piece of the artist's home town of Ballarat in every artwork, including things that people might not take much notice of, such as the bush land views of Brown Hill, the street corners of Wendouree, the gardens of Alfredton, or the many sunsets of Mount Helen and Buninyong. And so in "How not to be seen" Ash Lieb once again looks at the little things.
"How not to be seen" runs at Red Brick Gallery from 18th - 31st January 2013.