Constance ARI

What does it mean to have the phrase spike my drink printed across the skimpiest of Tshirts and parade around in the public arena, in complete defiance and possibly contempt or ignorance of the insidious and degrading implications associated with the text? A serious dive into the territory of transgression or possibly a submission to our culture’s desire to keep everything sexed-up and dumb-downed? The protagonists in Mat Ward’s latest series of paintings would probably answer with “nothing at all, although maybe some old people might not see the irony in it”*

These works explore the attitudes and strategies adopted by a generation- bombarded with sexual information and the sexual image since birth- to express, challenge and play with their sexual identity. Their sartorial language and mannerisms, exploited to attract attention, manufacture desire and sell lifestyle mimic the devices employed by contemporary mass-media. Brash, extroverted and abject in nature their attire presents a self-directed mask to society. A visual stance divorced of moral codes. Behind these shields lie the very normal insecurities, hypocrisies and desires of emerging sexuality.

Talking to the subjects it becomes clearly apparent that this is just fantasy; a licence to be someone else. “ Its like hip-hop, all front and outrageousness. Just coz my T-shirt says No Panties doesn’t mean I will put up with shit. In fact no one gives me grief. They know where its at”**

Every generation draws a line between themselves and their parents. More often than not the same methods are utilised; shock, rebellion, ambivalence and rejection. So where is it at in 2007? Maybe where it’s always been, just that in order to rebel and express yourself in our porn-saturated and instant gratification seeking culture, extreme evocations of self are required.

* Phillip, aged 22, Hobart
** Justine, aged 19, Sydney

Mat Ward was born and partially raised in Hobart, Tasmania and after travelling around this country for a decade or so found himself back where he started and enrolled at the University of Tasmania doing a fine arts degree. The bulk of his artistic output in recent years has explored contemporary sexuality and the sexual image with occasional divergences into other popular vices such as drug culture, music, fashion and politics. Working across several media including painting, video and drawing he has exhibited as a solo artist and as part of group and collaborative projects across Australia and recently in Paris, France. When not fully focusing on his role as finance officer for Inflight he copresents Tasmania’s only radio show dedicated to the visual arts on Edge Radio, continues his decent into academic hell via a Masters degree at UTAS and plays in several appalling rock bands.