Nicole Polentas
The Dirge and The Vital Heat
17 August - 4 September 2022
G4
Opening Night
Friday 19 August | 6pm – 8pm
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The Dirge and The Vital Heat are a series of jewellery and objects that negotiate the psychological parameters of life, death and innate disorders within the conjecture of cultural values. Drawing from a combination of Greek literature, collective stories, microscopic medical imagery and the visuality of anatomy, the objects attempt to elucidate personal notions of the self, reconfiguring it into a metaphorical locus. The Dirge and The Vital Heat recontextualises the theory of Vital Heat through the subversion and abstraction of Ancient Greek texts. The jewellery and objects present the coalescing of life and death, grief and transformation. They become the site and activation of mental exchange.
Artist Bio
Nicole Polentas is a contemporary jewellery artist of Greek-Australian background. Polentas utilises symbolism and diverse materials to produce abstracted conceptual works. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts, a Masters and PhD from RMIT University.
Nicole has successfully exhibited both nationally and internationally and her works are held in the collections of the Powerhouse Museum, Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery and the Museum Espace Solidor, in Cagnes-sur-Mer. Her work is also part of private collections throughout Australia, Europe, and the United States. Polentas recently curated the international Greek jewellery show titled Unclasped at the Hellenic Museum in Melbourne and co-initiated the Bluestonia 24/7: Local urban art project as part of RMIT CAST Research.
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)
