JOHN YOUNG’s new solo show Diaspora, Psyche opens at Bunjil Place Gallery today! This is a major survey of works spanning 17 years, from 2003 to 2019.
John Young, Three Worlds, 2004, (from the Double Ground Paintings: The Persian Paintings), digital print and oil on linen, 189.5 x 231.5 cm, Private collection
In the most comprehensive presentation of his practice since 2005, Diaspora, Psyche brings into dialogue two of Young’s most significant bodies of work: the History Projects (2008-2019) and the celebrated Double Ground Paintings (1995-2005). This pairing will contextualise Young’s recent focus on the history of the Chinese in Australia since 1840 within his four-decades long investigation into the condition of diaspora and the negotiation of bicultural ethics and perspectives.
This exhibition brings together, for the first-time, key paintings and installations to present an exploration of transcultural perspectives, examining how meaning is created through historic expressions of cross-cultural ethics, material and cultural exchange, and the effects of diasporic experience on the psyche.
Diaspora, Psyche will be supported by a selection of research and archival material that has informed these works to provide visitors with greater insight into the complexities of the artist's working practices.