A Night At The Modern Vices Art Show

Words: Faith Thurnwald
Photos: Jennifer Spalding

I attend the HarkerHine art show, my introduction into the emerging Brisbane art scene…touched for the very first time; like a virgin. I’m told the 30 artists involved competed in a people’s choice award, where the winner; Suika emerged.  I missed all this vital information as I was on my own competition: to make it to the bottleo before I finished all my champagne. Faith vs. her modern vices. I implore you; how can one attend an art show entitled ‘modern vices’, without them? However I did show some self-restraint: my handbag wasn’t the size of Marry Poppins and so there simply wasn’t room enough for all my delicious destructiveness. Before indulging too deeply, I made my way around the show; a house packed with underground and emerging artists, decked out in ‘art snob’ attire and bringing with them a good attitude. The crowd consist of mostly 20’s-30’s, and of course myself a 10/10. Each artist is uniquely different, all adhering to the ‘modern vices’ theme, with interpretations widely ranging. I peruse the rooms, sipping at my champagne from the bottle, and peer in wonder at the spectrum of art on display, looking in like a kid at the zoo: a drunk kid at the zoo. The art is versatile, whether it was a more on the nose approach like Valentino’s piece of a VB beer as the ‘virus beater’, a modern vice, reflective of our times and eagerly consumed in lockdown or an introspective piece from Tervo on body image and consumer culture. The hosts display their own work too; Zaide’s signature style of oil on canvas, where bodies are woven into a heavy, solitary sensuality, in which I would like to dive and Aleja’s intimate world of pink hues and exposing taboos.

The night continues. Art is bought and sold and Instagram handles are exchanged. I watch my friends hula-hoop and k-hole, the zoo becomes progressively more interesting.

I leave the party as I always do: a bit too late, and a bit too drunk. But not down and out, just down one shoe, and maybe a little dignity, after trying to proposition two guys; a people’s choice award of my own, who wants to fuck me tonight? You decide! But I leave in good spirits, because it’s only the beginning from the newly domestic dream duo that is A2Z . So sip your champagne, grab your glasses and get ready to delve deeper into a new wave in the Brisbane art scene.

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