Through The Fray

Through the Fray brings together sculpture and installation by three artists (Zac Whiteside, Isabella Lepoamo, Jude Stevens ) who each draw from the rituals, roles and objects that, while ubiquitous and often unspoken or overlooked, carry significant weight in shaping who we are. Everyday materials: steel wool, furniture, sugar, timber posts and wire, speak to the lived experiences of each artist, and each artwork holds inherited and questioned narratives.

Zac Whiteside has used steel wool to fabricate a series of garment-like sculptures, referencing rugby jerseys and the formative rites of sport and competition that many young people experience. Steel wool holds an intrinsic duality, being both abrasive and polishing. Like the rugby jerseys Most Improved mimic, they work on the wearer; smoothing them out by grinding them down. Rugby is a team sport with defined positions and roles, a system that fosters a united team spirit but also a necessary outward toughness.

Through the Fray touches on different lived-by symbols. Whether it be the significance taken on by a well-worn piece of furniture or clothing, or commonplace things like fences that become emblems of displacement and loss when encountered again and again across the landscape. Each artist in Through the Fray takes these inherent signifiers and qualities and remakes them anew, imbuing each artwork with their own first-hand experiences and perspectives.

- Simon Palenski, Blue Oyster Director