Con Rhee, Dove River emerging from its canyon (upper parts, panels 8 & 9, 55x900mm each), 2015, vinyl on HIPS
DEVONPORT REGIONAL GALLERY
Exhibition: 4 June – 2 July, 2016 │ Opening Friday 3 June, 6 pm
In Conversation with the Artist: Thursday 9 June, 1.30 pm
Tasmanian artist Con Rhee presents an artist talk about his new exhibition The Wilderness Pill on Thursday 9 June, 1.30 pm.
The exhibition features in the Gallery’s Little Gallery Project Space, which is available to emerging and early career contemporary Tasmanian artists, promoting experimentation in 2D and 3D art, critical thinking and concepts and excellence.
Con Rhee is an emerging artist who began his art career later in life, having studied and taught biology at tertiary level for some time. He works in both glass and photography and has exhibited his works regularly over recent years.
Artist talks by Little Gallery artists are perfect for students and emerging artists, as they provide valuable information for those considering a career in the arts through discussions about their experiences navigating ideas, processes and techniques.
Rhee’s concepts explore such things as health – how it is maintained, and has been maintained in the past. He questions how society managed without pills and medications and from a personal perspective he believes that one way to maintain health is to be at one with nature. With this in mind, Rhee has coined the term ‘The wilderness pill’ which forms the title of his exhibition in The Little Gallery. The exhibition highlights the wilderness through a series of enlarged photographs that surround the viewer within the space and seemingly transport them into a sense of ‘being there’.
“Based on experience, I’ve found a health promoting pill. It cost nothing & is highly efficacious. You absorb it naturally when you are present in the wilderness. It does wonders for your mental state, which in turn is reflected in the wellbeing & longevity of your body – i.e. your health. Given our origins, this “pill” was originally omnipresent in our environment. I call it “The Wilderness Pill”” – Con Rhee, May 2015
Dianne Sheehan Education & Public Programs Officer , Ellie Ray Director
