Billy Gruner (Sydney)
The Kills

Exhibition 2 - 13 August 2005

'The Kills' at Canary Gallery is part of an ongoing series including 'Green Music', 'White Stripes' that Billy describes as post formalist. These paintings are made with a certain punk aesthetic in mind; for instance, the materials used are commonplace, the paint application is rudimentary and performative. Household electrical tape is applied on top of wet enamel for durability. This also relates to a more complex relationship or prior history of art making - where similar forms and approaches have been used (Mondrian, Burn and others). Billy's show at Canary pays homage to the music of the band The Kills "A group of artists whose style I find sounds Real and has genuine feel." (BG)

Billy Gruner has made these types of object-like paintings since 1998. Most recently an exhibition of similar works titled 'Green Music' was held at Room 103 in Auckland, SNO Sydney, and NOT in Brisbane. Simple formalist methodology was opened up within an installation designed to be experienced as a complete work of art - despite comprising a number of discreet painting based works.

"Personally, I have no problem being labeled a formalist painter, however, this is not correct. That is an assumption all to easily made whenever reductive work is considered. I have always been interested in modern art styles, models and influences and especially Radical, Concrete and Constructive art, therefore I respond to what I like. This does not mean a lapse into revisionism. That argument relates to regional art-historicism, and represents an outmoded social demand belonging to the post-modern era - a period I have not been directly involved. What interests me today is a subject I would define as generic aesthetics, and how an artist may respond to art-historicism. I am mostly a radical painter, yet I hope these works convey another part of my interest in what I believe is contemporary paintings new currency."

Billy Gruner, Tempe, Australia
August 2005