Meredith Turnbull, Mood Mirror, 21 October - 14 November, 2020 at Daine Singer, Naarm/Melbourne

“I have an ongoing interest in philosophical notions of excess explored by feminist philosopher Elizabeth Grosz. Her writing around this subject looks at why species including humans create. Grosz sees creativity in this context as a productive, generative force; a force that is essential to life, but also extends beyond the function of natural and sexual selection. Mood Mirror is a new body of sculptural and image based work for exhibition that responds to the question of why make art? And why make it now? Recognising that despite the ongoing political disenfranchisement of the arts, arts education and artists, the desire to create is fundamental to being human and to many other species in life. The project includes themes of family, identity and inter-generational engagement in cultural production. This project was intended to incorporate direct collaboration with my daughter Roma Turnbull-Coulter and my mother Jenny Turnbull, however given Stage 4 restrictions this became increasingly difficult. Our collaboration in reality has meant an exchange of materials; Roma’s artworks from childcare and primary school, playing with materials from home, gathering flowers from my mother’s garden and using some of her silk and ink test-pieces in the photographs. Mood Mirror explores some of my ongoing themes including; still life, the construction of tableaux, the relationship between objects and images and in turn the body, and it embraces ideas of art as play, art as culture, art as life.” — Meredith Turnbull, 2020

This project was created on the sacred and sovereign Country of the Yalukit Willam clan of the Boon Wurrung. We acknowledge the Boon Wurrung as the Traditional Owners of Port Phillip and the land on which we live and work and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We also extend our respects to Bunjil the creator ancestor of the Kulin Nations.

Mood Mirror is supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.

Mood Mirror Series 1, 2020
archival inkjet print on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag
edition of 3 and 2AP
40 x 30 cm, 42 x 32 cm framed

Mood Mirror Series 2, 2020
archival inkjet print on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag
edition of 3 and 2AP
86 x 58 cm, 88 x 60 cm framed