Embattled will be Pople’s fourth solo exhibition with Despard Gallery and presents a new series of powerful works that explores the romanticised mythology of young Australian soldiers and their commanding officers in the First World War.
Complementing these raw and sometimes confronting narratives, Pople deploys a distinctly Australian visual vocabulary in depicting iconic Australian birds, symbols of hope, freedom and home.
Rodney Pople in his studio.
Despard Gallery is currently operating normal hours and Rodney’s exhibition will be available to view in person, 10 – 5 Monday to Friday and 10 – 4 Saturdays. Entry to our space, social distancing and additional sanitisation will be closely managed, observing the most current advice from government departments.
If you would like a private viewing out of hours, please contact the gallery. Please note that there is no public opening event scheduled.
“In the footsteps of artists such as Sidney Nolan, Pople questions the politicisation surrounding the ANZAC myth and in turn the moral fabric on which modern Australia has been built. Pople’s work acknowledges the complexity and weight of the ANZAC spirit, but does not shy away from asking hard questions around its origins and the half-truths buried deep beneath a strong sense of national pride.”
Scroll down to watch a short teaser video, to take a sneak peek at Pople’s work. This will be followed in the coming days with a series of videos where you can listen to Pople discuss ideas behind the exhibition, as well as talk through his sketch book.
There is also a digital catalogue of all exhibition artworks, via the Despard website. Artworks will also be able to be viewed through our virtual viewing room catalogue, providing scale and context.
