CLARY AKONCultural Capital 3 (Wowser Nation 2)

MEDIA RELEASE

In this latest exhibition Clary Akon continues his exploration of two concurrent themes “Cultural Capital” and “The Australian Nanny State” through the medium of sculpture, painting as well as provocative and thought-provoking street art.

‘The idea I originally set out to explore in this series of exhibitions was: why do people collect? What is it that makes certain objects or images more popular, more iconic and more instantly recognisable than others? And what does the choice of certain objects say about the collector? As I progressed, I began to realise that a lot of what I was doing came under the rubric of “cultural capital.”

In this exhibition, Clary Akon once again recreates some of his favourite artworks from history and pop culture, examining these iconic images from a cultural framework with a sense of humour and whimsy. Working primarily in porcelain, Clary Akon creates boxed dioramas featuring small and intricately sculpted objects and figurines. Renowned historical figures are removed from their familiar contexts and juxtaposed with others, simultaneously altering their original meaning and creating the visceral pleasure of viewing an image that is both familiar and pleasing to the eye. Cultural capital is defined as the ideas and knowledge that people draw upon as they participate in social life. Everything from rules of etiquette to being able to speak and write effectively can be considered cultural capital.

In 2016, together with psychologist and writer Francis Merson, Akon founded Wowser Nation. Wowser Nation is a collective that explores the Australian “Nanny State” through subversive street art. “We create satirical signs that encourage people to question the increasingly strict rules we are asked to follow. Our work embodies the disquieting suspicion that regulation aimed to improve our lives could be making them worse. Wowser Nation’s chief strategy is to intensify existing messages about safety and obedience until they become absurd. This usually doesn’t take much.”

“By making more and more rules, the regulators seem to aspire to a utopia in which nothing bad ever happens. Beaches are portrayed as minefields, strewn with peril; parks are as rule-bound as maximum-security prisons. Any risk of harm is unacceptable. Constant vigilance is encouraged. What place do spontaneity, creativity and joy have in this scared new world? Australia was once renowned for its laid-back attitude, for its boisterous rule-breaking larrikins like Barry McKenzie and Crocodile Dundee… This national identity is now obsolete. The Australia of today is increasingly rule-bound, censorious and tense. The larrikin is a social and political pariah. We have evolved from the ‘no worries’ country into the ‘no parking’ country. We have become a Wowser Nation.”

The collective will be presenting a range of old and new designs which have recently gained widespread notoriety within mainstream media outlets such as ABC News Channel 24, The Guardian, The Daily Mail, U.K and even The New York Times.

Clary Akon’s exhibition coincides with Sydney Art Month which runs from 6 - 29 March 2020. Cultural Capital 3 (Wowser Nation 2) is current from 17 March - 5 April 2020.

For more details or images contact:media@australiangalleries.com.auaustraliangalleries.com.au 02 9360 5177

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Exhibition Dates: 17 March - 5 April 202015 Roylston Street Paddington NSW 2021Open 7 days 10am to 6pm

Artist talk with the founders of Wowser Nation - Clary Akon and Francis Merson Saturday 2pm 28 March 2020