Patricia’s mind map is tangled with things like chimera, in vitro fertilization, cowboy boots and a Tasmanian tiger, from which her art was born.
Unsettling! That was my first impression upon learning of Patricia Piccinini’s art. Talking about realism, Patricia creates tangible forms. Any beholder must be able to perceive her work and compare it to things they’ve seen or heard, but not really. I immediately think about the pseudo-realism movement -if it makes sense-, although it’s in her own way. Not in the looks-real-but-fake kind of way, but it’s more like an alternative form. A biological evolution that never happened. A could’ve or should’ve sort of thing.
Initially, the forms create a shock effect for the beholder but once you learn the stories behind them, you are introduced to an entirely new perspective. Take the gigantic Skywhale for instance. What essentially are hot air balloons of a couple of whale-like creatures and their cub, are Patricia trying to imagine what if instead of in the water, whales evolve to float in the skies evolving a way to produce light gas inside their bodies that will enable them to be essentially lighter than the atmosphere. Upon closer inspection, Skywhale and Skywhalepapa’s role are reverted, the ‘papa’ is seen nurturing their cub. The Skywhale is actually Patricia’s challenge to existing gender roles.
Patricia also likes to create chimera sculptures. In “Kindred”, Patricia deconstructs the age-old stereotype that humans are fundamentally different from animals. A mindset that results in ecological destruction for the sake of humans’ benefit. The sculpture depicts an orangutan mother caring for her two babies and the three of them resemble humans in varying levels of uncanniness; a metaphor for how animals and humans are more related than we think.
Museum MACAN Jakarta will be the home for Patricia’s solo exhibition dubbed “CARE” from 23 May to 6 October 2024. With Tobias Berger -a long time collaborator of Patricia- as the curator, CARE is a deep exploration by Patricia Piccinini, a visitation of her artistic vision in a grand scale. CARE will incorporate hot topics such as ecological crisis, global politics, AI, biotech and most importantly, human connection and intimacy. Renowned for her hyperrealistic sculptures depicting a blend of imaginary creatures inspired by both living beings and mythological figures, the Australian-based artist invites visitors to delve into new forms of life with a perspective grounded in compassion and care.
