One Hundred and Two paintings for Mum and Dad

Sharne Wolff

We’ve been proud of your shows these last 20 something years, the truck burial for me, the big dick – it’s been interesting – but we’re really worried about you. [What’s Mum & Dad]

It can’t be easy being the parents of an artist, even one who’s had a show the The Art Life pronounced as “probably one of the most ambitious art projects we have seen in years” or been named “one of the most exciting and fearless young artists around” by Sebastian Smee.

The artist who goes by the name of What has been exhibiting solo for almost twenty years. What is a painter, sculptor, performer and installation artist whose body of work was granted a survey at the National Art School in 2009. As is often the case with What’s shows, there’s no essay or publicity blurb for this latest exhibition. The descriptive title of the exhibition, however, gives the game away. Well, sort of. Bless his cotton socks, What has decided it’s time he took his parents advice. This series of small abstract oil paintings on linen – their titles numbered from One to One Hundred and Two – were inspired by conversations and correspondence with his mum and dad who “loved it when he painted with oils”, just “want him to be happy” but prefer it when he makes “something that fits in a car”.

Showing concurrently at Gallery 9 is work from George Egerton Warburton andRamesh Mario Nithiyendran.

Until March 8

Gallery 9, Darlinghurst

Pic: What, Twenty four 2013/14[detail]. Oil on linen on Tasmanian oak frame 40 x 30 cm

Courtesy the artist and Gallery 9.