Andrew Lavery in Conversation with Danielle Robson | Artist Talks

Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize finalist Andrew Lavery in conversation with Danielle Robson, principal and senior curator at Urban Art Projects.

Andrew Lavery is a multi-disciplinary practitioner trained in traditional glassmaking. His works challenge the social and spatial dynamics inherent in urban development and social change. Recent work delves into the Marxist aesthetics of urban ruin in gentrifying suburbs of Australia, critiquing the notion of progress by questioning the linear narratives of history and the constructed realities of modernity.

In Urban Bent, Lavery explores the urban landscape's temporal layers, aiming to unravel and challenge narratives of development and decay. It is an absurdist assemblage combining a discarded bentwood chair found while walking in suburban Sydney with both readymade and crafted skateboard components. By colliding a transient representation of style from a gentrifying neighbourhood with the emergence of vulnerable urban subcultures, Urban Bent challenges entrenched perceptions of everyday objects and their fleeting appearances over time. The work comments on the power and fragility of societal constructs in urban renewal, questioning who benefits and who is displaced or marginalised.

Event capacity | 30 attendees

When | Saturday 21 September, 3.00 - 4.00pm

Where | Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf

Cost and inclusions | $5

Refund policy | For a full refund, cancel your registration at least 3 days before the event date. Please note that booking fees are not refundable.

Transport and parking | The Gallery can be reached via public transport (buses 324, 325 or 326, or walk from Edgecliff Station or Double Bay Wharf). After-hours parking is available at Council Chambers (536 New South Head Rd, Double Bay NSW 2028). If you are arriving via UBER or Taxi please request a drop-off or collection at the Council Chambers.

Image | Andrew Lavery, Urban Bent, 2024