Isaac Julien Takes 'Refuge' in Sydney
/Isaac Julien, En Passage (Stones Against Diamonds), 2015, Premier Photograph, 180 x 240cm, Edition of 6 plus 1 AP; image Courtesy the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
Freshly unveiled in Sydney, the Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery delivers a new exhibition from British artist Isaac Julien. Titled 'Refuge', the gallery brings together a survey of works spanning almost a decade of the artist's career. The collection consists of Julien’s poetic cinematography and photographic installations shot in locations across three continents.
Geography is a recurring theme in the work, alongside displacement. Featuring landscapes such as the Icelandic Vatnajökull caves – among Europe’s biggest glaciers – along with Palazzo Gangi, where Luchino Visconti filmed The Leopard in 1963, cartographies begin to speak of the wider concerns of the world today. The artist critically responds to spaces that are suspended on the edge of crisis and change.
The elements of war, moving populations, transcultural exchange and the neglected natural world are brought together in refined theory and visual beauty to create a 'modern-day requiem'. There is the persistent element of hope, however, with the desire for betterment lurking throughout the work, which is on show until 19 November.
Isaac Julien, Echo (Stones Against Diamonds), 2015, Duratrans image in lightbox, 120 x 120cm, Edition of 4 plus 1 AP.; image Courtesy the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
