On Reflection

Ursula Sullivan+joanna Strumpf

The unexamined life is not worth living they say. But to truly examine who you are — your identity and your place in the world takes courage. To do it publicly and in the wildly heretical way Michael Zavros has done in his upcoming exhibition, ‘A Guy Like Me’ requires something else altogether. We are all willing voyeurs to this examination of self, and cannot look away from these deeply unorthodox but seductive images.

Presented as a series of eight photographs, this exhibition will disrupt the idea of Zavros as a painter and bring into question ideas of masculinity, fatherhood, desire and the individual pursuit of perfection.

Focusing less on the self and more on the body, Polly Borland’s work also explores desire, but from a very different perspective. Pip Wallis – curator of Borland’s sublime survey exhibition, Pollyverse held at the National Gallery of Victoria in 2018 – discusses the development of her practice and the knife edge Polly balances on between the physical and psychological, comedy and drama, confinement and freedom.

We dive deeper into the work of Joanna Lamb and Juka Araikawa, consummate observers of their surroundings. Although their work is very different, both are deep meditations on the everyday and seem particularly relevant now in our empty streets and endless nights at home.

We drop-in on Alex Seton to admire his growing art collection and hear what’s for dinner — it sounds amazing! And we visit Sam Jinks in the studio — where, in amongst the fume cupboards and clay he still makes room for a nap. Finally, our beautiful friend and interior architect David Flack of Flack Studio has the last word on Disney and how a family movie favourite unexpectedly lead to one of his great epiphanies of 2020.

Enjoy!

– Ursula and Joanna

Michael Zavros

Dad likes Mercedes, 2020 lightjet print

172.7 x 122 cm