Static: Colin Langridge and Tricky Walsh

Static is an exhibition with an opening night performance by artists Tricky Walsh and Colin Langridge on the 4th of October. Employing philosophies that the two artists share – a focus on timber as the primary material in their sculptural practices, and a dedication to detail and labour in their construction – Static explores time and energy within an artist’s practice as an aspect of the completed artwork.

All artists expend time and energy in the design and realisation of their artworks. In Static, Walsh and Langridge have chosen to focus upon this aspect of their work through a variety of strategies that either literally require their direct performative energy to activate the work, that utilise theories of energy, or that are kinetically activated. Many of the mechanisms or devices represented in the exhibition are either literal or metaphorical electricity generating devices. Some employ wheels to transfer energy as motion, some utilise more esoteric or speculative means.

Energy is not created by humans, however it can be harnessed and directed and that is what humans have been doing for 1000s of years. The creative act is often a moment of concentrated human activity captured in the artwork and through the artwork we have access to the individual who made that artwork but also to our universal human engagement with the world. At this moment in history, when we have access to global information systems, we are more aware than ever of the impact our activity is having on our planet.

Colin Langridge is represented by Colville Gallery (Hobart).
Tricky Walsh is represented by Bett Gallery (Hobart) and MARS gallery (Melbourne)

This project was assisted through Arts Tasmania by the Minister for the Arts

The artists would like to thank Paul Colgrave and Amanda Davies for their assistance with the Static artwork.

Colin Langridge would like to thank Phil Blacklow, Stuart Houghton, Jason James and Stewart Long for their creative input into his artworks. Colin would also like to acknowledge the University of Tasmania for supporting this project.