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RMIT artists take on New York
Three RMIT University art researchers are making waves internationally, with
two prestigious New York galleries showing their work this month in an exhibition
that brings Melbourne’s Gothic aesthetic to a series of real and virtual gallery
environments.
Dark Luminance, curated by James Hullick and John Derrick, is on show at the
Pratt Institute Gallery and the Sakiko Gallery in Manhattan, as well as in a virtual
gallery developed by Dr Lisa Dethridge in RMIT’s island in Second Life.
The show has won high praise from New York arts reviewer Joe Bendik, of the
Chelsea Clinton News, who described the exhibition as “overwhelming”,
“mindblowing” and “straight out of the future”.
Mr Hullick is a PhD candidate in RMIT’s School of Art and artistic director for
sonic arts organisation JOLT, which supported the exhibition. His work features
dark and disturbing sound installations, robotic creatures, black wigs, sculptural
speakers and weird, mechanical objects.
“This exhibition of digital paintings, electronic and robotics installations is an
immersive, multi-sensory experience,” he said.
Mr Derrick, a PhD candidate in the School of Creative Media, explores the
integration of 2D figurative oil painting in a 3D virtual space that is projected by
computer.
He harnesses cutting-edge 3D graphic technologies to extend the role of
traditional portraiture, in a technique he calls “digital painting”.
Visitors to the New York galleries are able to interact with virtual visitors who are
“present” in the form of their avatars, logged in to RMIT’s virtual gallery space in
Second Life.
Dr Dethridge, Program Leader in the School of Creative Media, said the
exhibition showed Australian artists at the bleeding edge of digital technologies.
“In keeping with the Gothic theme of the ghost or the double, images and sounds
from the exhibition’s two physical spaces are linked to the 3D virtual world of
Second Life, projecting visions and audience participation from one space into
the other through the internet,” she said.
Dark Luminance is on show in New York until 28 August. High resolution images
of the works in the exhibition are available.
For interviews: Dr Lisa Dethridge, 0413 625 392.
For general media enquiries: RMIT University Media and Communications,
Gosia Kaszubska, (03) 9925 3176 or 0417 510 735.
27 August, 2008
NEWS 
