Gateway
Francis Carmody
17 Mar–3 Apr 2021
Motivated by acute infiltration techniques, Gateway takes on visual methods of infiltration, deception and detection. Using visual cues, past military camouflage techniques and the postal economy as starting points to generate a series of works and unknown narratives. Someone crosschecks cargo manifests, notices a pattern in erratic offshore movements and begins to construct a story, a suspicious sequence of events. Where before there were only lists and tracking number updates are now visual inconsistencies in objects, seized illegal imports and discarded compromised cargo.
Influenced by the vast increase in postal activity over the past 8 months Gateway partially includes work which has been generated through field research conducted with the Australian Border Force’ Melbourne postal Gateway. Engaging directly with this influx of altered objects once used to house and distribution to disguise hopeful contraband.
Runway x BLINDSIDE: Francis Carmody, The Magician’s Apprentice
Blindside asked writer Anador Walsh to respond to Francis Carmody’s exhibition Gateway.
Runway Journal has partnered with All-Conference to present a series of Conversations from its network of artist-led, experimental and cross-disciplinary arts organisations around Australia.
Motivated by acute infiltration techniques, Gateway takes on visual methods of infiltration, deception and detection. Using visual cues, past military camouflage techniques and the postal economy as starting points to generate a series of works and unknown narratives.
This program takes place on the land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We recognise that sovereignty was never ceded - this land is stolen land. We pay respects to Wurundjeri Elders, past, present and emerging, to the Elders from other communities and to any other Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders who might encounter or participate in the program.
Francis Carmody's work is presented as products of distribution and power structures characterised by a wide range of forms, objects and actions. He explores structures of dissemination and narrative through promiscuous research methodologies. Enacted by an initial action from the artist or a constructed model to be carried out by someone else, administrative and hysterical steps are rehearsed to realise projects.
In 2020, Carmody exhibited at Gertrude Glasshouse in Remedy for the Doldrums, curated by Siobhan Sloper and was invited to present at the Project Anywhere Symposium, Buxton Contemporary held in partnership with the Parsons School of Design. Francis remained active over Melbourne’s 111 Day Lockdown with help from the City of Melbourne and NAVA arts Grants assisting in the development of a new body of work for Gateway.
