IN THE GALLERY: Still Life Studio

Petrina Hicks

2 - 20 Oct 2018

In ‘Still Life Studio’ Hicks continues her exploration of the relationship between ancient culture and contemporary life, employing mythology, symbolism and historical motifs in her haunting images.

Hicks reveals: ‘Myths, symbolism, archetypes and history have always been of interest. I am fascinated by the immediacy of symbols and longevity of myths, reinterpreted through lens of history and culture over and over again since origin. As the writings of Jung and Joseph Campbell point out, there is a pool of symbols we continually draw upon and reinterpret. Depictions of objects and symbols that relate to the past reflect on our transition through history and show us how significantly we have, or have not, changed.’

Hicks’ works also reveal her fascination with flawed or alternate beauty, probing narratives of female representation through art history and the media. The slick sophistication of her images highlights this dichotomy between the surface aesthetic and their ambiguous, subversive subtext.

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

Hicks’ work is currently on show in ‘Fragile Armour’ at Perth Centre for Photography and was recently included in ‘Ecstasy, Baroque and Beyond’ at University of Queensland Art Museum and ‘Romancing the Skull’ at the Art Gallery of Ballarat, continuing her strong presence in institutional exhibitions and collections both in Australia and internationally.