Spencer Mu
Vision Field
28 May - 08 June 2025
G3
Opening Night
Friday 30 May | 6 - 8 pm
Artist Statement
Architecture, like many disciplines shaped by Enlightenment rationality, operates within rigid binary oppositions—up and down, interior and exterior, solid and void. These self-referential constructs limit architecture’s ability to fully engage with complex spatial interdependencies. Bound by conventional representation methods like plans, sections, and elevations, architecture struggles to address the fluid, polyvalent nature of contemporary space.
Painting, as a two-dimensional medium, has long pursued spatial depth, while architecture, paradoxically, reduces its own spatiality to lines on paper. By merging the two fields, a new mode of architectural expression emerges—one that is sentimental, ambiguous, and immersive. This series of paintings serves as an alternative architectural medium, existing simultaneously as architectural drawings and tangible, emotive objects. They oscillate between space and representation, challenging architecture’s rigid dualities by embracing idiosyncrasy, atmosphere, and spatial interference.
These works disrupt traditional architectural conventions by juxtaposing orthogonal, perspectival, and planar modes of depiction within a single composition. Color and shifting perspectives generate spatial depth, only to be flattened by abstract patterns reminiscent of technical drawings—perpetually reminding the viewer of their two-dimensional nature. In doing so, the paintings redefine spatial perception, not only within the canvas but also in the dynamic relationship between the artwork and its audience.
This exhibition reflects the divide between the idealism of beauty and the constraints of professional practice. It captures the tension, disillusionment, and internal conflict within the architectural psyche. Painting becomes an act of defiance—a retreat from the rigidity of design processes, a controlled disruption, and a passive-aggressive response to a homogenized built environment.
Artist Biography
Spencer Mu is a Melbourne-based multidisciplinary artist with a background in architecture (M.Arch), exploring the intersection of painting and design. Trained to see the world as both a whole and as fragments of form, color, and light, he works primarily with oil to investigate spatial ambiguity and the interchangeability of architecture and painting. Inspired by Zoe Zenghelis and Giorgio de Chirico, his compositions deconstruct the built environment into bold geometric forms and dynamic color palettes. His work has been recognized with commendation for the Peter Elliott Prize and exhibited in multiple shows. Spencer’s architectural experience and love for travel continue to shape his evolving creative perspective.
Contact
Phone : (03) 9482 3550
mail@redgallery.com.au
Address
157 St Georges Rd
Fitzroy North, Victoria, 3068
Map
How to get here
Tram: Route 11
Stop 21 just north of Edinburgh Gardens
Melway Ref: 30B12
Parking in nearby streets
Bus: 504 (Reid Street)
