MITCH CAIRNS: THE READER ’S VOICE Saturday 24 October 2015 – Sunday 21 February 2016
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Heide Museum of Modern Art
MITCH CAIRNS: THE READER’S VOICE LINDA MICHAEL
Though best known as a painter, Sydney artist
Somewhere between cartoons, writing, and
Mitch Cairns here brings together collages, a
concrete poetry, the collages draw upon all
bronze bas-relief and a book under the title
these forms, and from music. Music is also
The Reader’s Voice. Each component is similar
alluded to in the bronze ‘portrait’ head of a
to all the others: all are A4-sized and linked by
cello, a mute stand-in for the artist, and in an
the idea of printing: the bronze was cast from a
exhibition title that alerts us to our reading
linocut for the book cover and could in theory
of the work.
be used as a printing block itself, the collaged Letraset was made for pre-press layouts in the
As he does with painting, Cairns imposes
pre-digital era, and the book is a one-to-one
or creates limits that paradoxically allow
print of all the collages.
freer expression; for example using French, a language he doesn’t speak; or letters to
The framed collages are arranged like bricks in
make images. Political or New Yorker–style
a wall, a structure containing what Cairns
cartoons are an inspiration, for their ability
describes as ‘tangential responses to good
to say so much with so little, and Cairns makes
things’ – the studio, domestic life, sex,
economical use of the now-defunct Letraset,
absurdities, gags and so on. The regular
and personalised Zazzle stickers, as he plays
geometry creates a decorative overlay, like the
with thoughts, memories and an idiosyncratic
mortar line termed ‘pointing’ in bricklaying, a
archive of images.
craft referred to in several images.
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Heide Museum of Modern Art
LIST OF WORKS
Mitch Cairns
MITCH CAIRNS: THE READER’S VOICE
BIOGRAPHY
Cairns completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts
Gallery, Sydney, 2009; The Shilo Project, Ian
(Honours) in painting at the National Art
Potter Museum of Art, University of
School in Sydney in 2006.
Melbourne, 2009; and I am a Good Boy,
The Reader’s Voice 2015
Firstdraft, Sydney, 2008.
Letraset and stickers on paper
Solo exhibitions include Dip or Skinny Dip
bronze, artist book, exhibited in
and FINCHES at The Commercial Gallery, in
Cairns was runner-up in the Archibald
the Heide Store
2014 and 2015 respectively; a wall drawing,
Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales
36 parts, each 29.7 x 21 cm
Studio Leak, Shepparton Art Museum, in
in both 2014 and 2015, with portraits of
Courtesy of the artist and
2014; and solo exhibitions at TCB art inc.,
philanthropist Reg Richardson artist Peter
The Commercial, Sydney
Melbourne, 2014; KALIMANRAWLINS,
Powditch respectively. He has been a
Melbourne, 2013; BREENSPACE, Sydney, in
finalist in numerous prize exhibitions
Mitch Cairns, The Reader’s Voice,
2008, 2010 and 2012; BOXCOPY, Brisbane,
including the Geelong Contemporary Art
Gang Atelier, Sydney, 2015.
2012; MOP Projects, Sydney, 2006, 2007 and
Prize and the Doug Moran National Portrait
First edition of 500
2008; and Locksmith Project Space, Sydney,
Prize. In 2012 he received both the
(232 pages, 110 illustrations in
2008. In 2012 he participated in a two-person
Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship,
black & white; ISBN 978-0-646-
exhibition at Society, Sydney, with
which included a residency at the Cité
94532-3)
Matthew Tumbers.
internationale des arts, Paris, 2013, and a Linden Postcard award, Linden Centre for
Selected group exhibitions include Outside
Contemporary Art, Melbourne.
Thoughts, with Emily Floyd, Darren Sylvester and Danie Mellor, Contemporary Art
Between 2005 and 2007, Cairns was studio
Tasmania, 2015; RELATIONSHIPPAL with
assistant to the late Adam Cullen.
Tim Silver and Susan Jacobs, BREENSPACE,
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Sydney, 2013; Alpha Romeo, with
Cairns co-founded artist-run space
Christopher Hanrahan and Nigel Milsom,
The Cosmic Battle for Your Heart with
Peloton, Sydney; They Call Them Pirates Out
Kelly Doley, Brian Fuata and Agatha
Here, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney,
Gothe-Snape. Based in Sydney from 2009
2010; What I think of when I think about
to 2011, it was the subject of the survey
dancing, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Sydney,
exhibition, Eastern Seaboard, at Artspace,
2009; Reality Check, Hazelhurst Regional Art
Sydney, in 2011. 19
Heide Museum of Modern Art
MITCH CAIRNS: THE READER’S VOICE
Produced on the occasion of the exhibition:
MITCH CAIRNS: THE READER’S VOICE Saturday 24 October 2015 – Sunday 21 February 2016 Curated by Linda Michael Design: Ramona Lindsay Installation photographs: Christian Capurro © Heide Museum of Modern Art, the author, designer and photographers ISBN: 978-1-921330-47-6
7 Templestowe Road Bulleen Victoria 3105 Australia T +61 3 9850 1500 F +61 3 9852 0154 heide.com.au 20
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