Mon-Tues: CLOSED
Wed-Sat: 11am-6pm
Sun: 11am-5pm
Featuring:
Francis Bacon famously claimed that all art was about “sex and death”, but Shane Forrest has a more nuanced vision. His art is a constant examination of “entropy and the fight against it”.
Forrest is the most economical of artists. The canvases on which he paints are found abandoned on streets. Most of the Arches paper he uses for his paintings comes from his old friend, Guy Warren, who gives him paper he has discarded. Nothing is wasted. All is transformed.
This is especially true of the brochures from real estate agents which stuff our letterboxes, their glossy pictures and hyperbolic weasel words transforming mediocrity into fantasy. If the brochures are not quickly removed, snails, worms and insects find them and they are eaten away. Entropy.
Shane Forrest has found a use for brochures other than as food for other forms of life or the council’s recycling bin. He takes them, tears them up and reassembles them in ways that the agents could never imagine. The reconstructed works are then sealed with acrylic matte varnish before being repainted in gouache, neatly boxed to make the most enticing of images. Their titles come from the source material: In an admired enclave, Sitting above a vibrant retail piazza and Boasting a sunny rear yard.
In his large paintings Forrest undertakes an even greater transformation of the property market’s fantasy. Each work is based on a real estate advertisement for a single house. Their titles also come from the weasel words of real estate marketing: Standing proudly within an exclusive streetscape, Plenty of character to sooth the soul and No neighbours here plus a large shed. The glossed up images created by the agents and their stylists are transformed into exquisite, intensely coloured acrylic paintings of three of them, painted on Arches paper. One is selected to be transferred to canvas. The next is layered over it, and torn – the rough white tear is incorporated into the design. Then the third torn image adds another layer of complexity. These fragments create a dislocated vision of the absurd fantasy the market is promoting, a transformation in destruction. Permanence is an artificial construct.
The art historian and art critic Joanna Mendelssohn has long admired Shane Forrest’s work.
A modern family lifestyle of absolute quality $1, 200
acrylic on reclaimed paper, canvas and timber .540 sq m (600mm x 900mm)
2020
No neighbours here plus a large shed $1, 200
acrylic on reclaimed paper, canvas and timber .540 sq m (600mm x 900mm)
2022
Standing proudly within an exclusive streetscape $1, 200
acrylic on reclaimed paper, canvas and timber .566 sq m (615mm x 920mm)
2020
Plenty of character to sooth the soul SOLD
acrylic on reclaimed paper, canvas and timber .308 sq m (440 x 750mm)
2021
Beyond The Character Facade of this charming cottage is a stunning home $1, 200
acrylic on reclaimed paper, canvas and timber .552 sq m (600mm x 920mm)
2020
build a stunning new retreat (stca) $750
acrylic on reclaimed paper, canvas and timber .385 sq m (500mm x 770mm)
2020
a boutique community in a tightly held lifestyle pocket SOLD
acrylic on reclaimed paper, canvas and timber .341 sq m (455mm x 750mm)
2021
this home, price wise, sits in that sweet spot SOLD
gouache on real estate brochures .036 sq m (130mm x 280mm)
2022
enjoy the wonderful flow through design SOLD
gouache on real estate brochures .06 sq m (300mm x 200mm)
2022
In an admired enclave SOLD
gouache on real estate brochures .04 sq m (200mm x 200mm)
2022
family retreat offering private oasis SOLD
gouache on real estate brochures .04 sq m (200mm x 200mm)
2022
prime location and further potential $250
gouache on real estate brochures .04 sq m (200mm x 200mm)
2022
ready for a cosmetic renovation SOLD
gouache on real estate brochures .04 sq m (200mm x 200mm)
2022
opens to the light of a prize northern aspect SOLD
gouache on real estate brochures .04 sq m (200mm x 200mm)
2022
plenty of space to enjoy the scenery SOLD
gouache on real estate brochures .04 sq m (200mm x 200mm)
2022
smartly presented to give a modern feel SOLD
gouache on real estate brochures .06 sq m (300mm x 200mm)
2022
a home with more to offer than what meets the eye SOLD
gouache on real estate brochures .06 sq m (300mm x 200mm)
2022
Boasting a sunny rear yard $300
gouache on real estate brochures .06 sq m (300mm x 200mm)
2022
Nervous System $700
acrylic on reclaimed paper and cardboard 720mm x 330mm x 500mm
2019
bring this old girl back to life $750
acrylic on reclaimed paper, canvas and timber .270 sq m (450mm x 600mm)
2022
Radiate a timeless impression of elegant style $1, 000
acrylic on reclaimed paper, canvas and timber .36 sq m (400mm x 900mm)
2021
offering fresh free-flowing interiors to sun washed alfresco spaces $750
acrylic on reclaimed paper, canvas and timber .308 sq m (440mm x 750mm)
2021
little retro renovator bathed with charm and potential $750
acrylic on reclaimed paper, canvas and timber .240 sq m (400mm x 600mm)
2021
greenhouse SOLD
acrylic on reclaimed paper and cardboard 700mm x 400mm x 150mm
2019
a great home where you can relax and unwind SOLD
gouache on real estate brochures .036 sq m (130mm x 280mm)
2022
…or sit and take in the view with a nice glass of wine $150
gouache on real estate brochures .036 sq m (130mm x 280mm)
2022
this sprawling block with wide commanding frontage $150
gouache on real estate brochures .036 sq m (130mm x 280mm)
2022
with a level of charm you don’t often come across SOLD
gouache on real estate brochures .036 sq m (130mm x 280mm)
2022
if you are enquiring, please leave your full name and phone number or we may not reply SOLD
gouache on real estate brochures .036 sq m (130mm x 280mm)
2022
views to the north west SOLD
gouache on real estate brochures .036 sq m (130mm x 280mm)
2022
potential buyers should take all steps necessary to satisfy themselves SOLD
gouache on real estate brochures .036 sq m (130mm x 280mm)
2022
an open plan makes for fluid entertaining $150
gouache on real estate brochures .036 sq m (130mm x 280mm)
2022
the property represents impressive value $150
gouache on real estate brochures .036 sq m (130mm x 280mm)
2022
it presents great scope to update and personalise $800
acrylic on reclaimed paper, canvas and timber .425 sq m (500mm x 850mm)
2021
tastefully presented $1, 000
acrylic on reclaimed paper, canvas and timber .36 sq m (400mm x 900mm)
2021
either do her up or rent this one out SOLD
acrylic on reclaimed paper, canvas and timber .311 sq m (610mm x 510mm)
2021
most sought after street $800
acrylic on reclaimed paper, canvas and timber .477 sq m (620mm x 770mm)
2021
an easy care home of light and style $1, 200
acrylic on reclaimed paper, canvas and timber .549 sq m (610mm x 900mm)
2021
trauma $650
acrylic on reclaimed paper and cardboard 360mm x 360mm x 360mm
2022
fracture $550
acrylic on reclaimed paper and cardboard 500mm x 2000mm x 300mm
2022
The perfect home for a low maintenance lifestyle $1, 000
acrylic on reclaimed paper, canvas and timber .368 sq m (400mm x 920mm)
2020
An exciting prospect for further potential and creative updates or renovation $1, 000
acrylic on reclaimed paper, canvas and timber .423 sq m (460mm x 920mm)
2020
With subject matter sourced from current real estate advertisements these paintings poke at the hyper-heated Sydney real estate situation. Tasked with devising a title for this exhibition of works, my scientist son and I agreed that at an intrinsic level in these paintings present multiple views of the same address separated by space, but not time. This notion called to mind the the quantum phenomenon called Entanglement. While my level of grasp on quantum physics is feeble, his fortunately is more robust, and since Forrest’s self-proclaimed view of these works is encapsulated in musings around impermanence, using Entanglement as a metaphor appeared in a ‘high energy collision’!
This phenomena, produced in quantum experiments, of particles miles from each other in our physical world instantaneously exchanging information gave Albert Einstein the creeps and he referred to this feature of quantum mechanics as “spooky action at a distance”. Thus, the title for this exhibition: ‘Spooky Action at an Address’.
The works in ‘Spooky Action at an Address’ are acrylic on reclaimed paper and reclaimed canvas. That is to say that Forrest endeavours to source paper that, while of good quality, has been discarded for its original purpose and canvases that similarly have found a dead end and so, environmental demands are minimised in production of these works. Separate paintings of selected rooms in the same house are firstly painted, and then these are dismembered and interlaced. Simultaneous viewing is made possible with interwoven layers.
Using Entanglement as a metaphor to view and translate these works, the compositions provide a straightforward entry point. Produced by ripping and reassembling these are readily describable as entangled images. However, in the same manner that Cubist used a two dimensional painted surface to a postulate a four dimensional experience, to only see the visual entanglement is to forego a more invigorating mental workout.
So here is where I briefly insert what I have gleaned about Entanglement for consideration as a ‘spooky’ lens through which to view this exhibition:-
“Entanglement arises in situations where we have partial knowledge of the state of two systems, knowing the shape of one, we can infer the shape of the other with certainty” – such “partial knowledge” is visible in the selected remains of complete painted layer chosen to represent each room, and which together inform the viewer of the whole residence.
“One way to create an entangled state is to make a measurement of your (composite) system that gives you partial information. No one view of physical reality captures all its aspects; one must take into account many different, mutually exclusive views, each offering valid but partial insight. This is the heart of complementarity…”- applying this to Forrest’s work, partial views of physical reality represent a fuller description than any of the layers taken alone.
“We say we have “entangled histories” when it is impossible to assign a definite state to our system at each moment in time. Similarly to how we got conventional entanglement by eliminating some possibilities, we can create entangled histories by making measurements that gather partial information about what happened…. our observations leave both alternatives in play.” – the parts of each layer that are eliminated, not included, do exist and remain somewhere in play.
“Everyday language is ill suited to describe quantum complementarity…that we take both of two contradictory property-trajectories into account.” – contradictory conceptual content is well housed and plausibly proposed by visual means. In this regard, Forrest’s work sits comfortably in a crowded pantheon.
“The controlled experimental realization of entangled histories…. can give definite mathematical and experimental meaning to the proliferation of “many worlds” in quantum theory, and demonstrate its substantiality.” – and so, Forrest’s works may be considered as controlled experiments in multidimensionality and the nature of substance.
Being quantum in nature, Forrest achieves his own ‘spooky action’ at an address.
May 2022
Dr J Naylor
with assistance from Dr C Forrest
Quotes and thanks to Frank Wilczek, Entanglement made simple https://www.quantamagazine.org/entanglement-made-simple-20160428/