The art of Peter Strong a.k.a Vectorpunk has taken many twists and turns over the years as it cascaded down the rugged mountain of youth and into the vast valleys of middle age. At times the river has slowed, even stagnated but now it happily meanders through different techniques and styles as its visual language slowly takes shape in the eddies and counter currents of the creative flow.
This river of creativity has flowed through community empowering events, free festivals, political activism, urban art, underground electronic music culture and soul searching surrealism and contains within its matrix many memories, concepts and ideas.
Sydney has been Vectorpunk’s home since 1987, it’s colourful and active extended musical and cultural underground has been an inspiration and catalyst for creativity.
Landing a part time job recently at the Ace Props warehouse in Sydney’s Petersham inspired the theme for this exhibition
Walking into Ace Props for the first time struck a chord with me. The tumble down warehouse in Petersham where the event props are stored was a sight to behold, random storage for a thousand parties and events, the place reminded my of my creative river. It was as if this place is where Sydney’s party river deposited all the flotsam and jetsam of decades of social gatherings that are now washed up in a giant billabong drained of water to reveal the colourful and surreal deposits.
The crooked tumbledown warehouse full of party props ran wild in my imagination. The symbols of bygone eras are stacked high mixed up with an array of curiosities and collectables all radiating the memories the the events they attended and gathering dust until they get a chance to be celebrated again.
Props to the Props is an exhibition of the art of Peter Strong at Tortuga Studios, 31 Princes hwy, St Peters.
The opening night will kick of at 6pm on Friday 15th November and will feature the music of The Sample Minds plus D.J’s and visuals.
Expect new and old multi media works from screen print editions to painting and digital media on canvas, paper and light boxes, inspired by life, the universe and the surreal collection of props at the Ace Props warehouse as well as Australia’s colourful musical and political underground.