I HAVEN’T MADE THE WORK YET, BUT I’LL BE THERE A WEEK BEFOREHAND WHICH SHOULD BE PLENTY OF TIME

JASON PHU

26 August - 01 October 2016 @ CCAS: Gorman Arts Centre

The exhibition title ‘I haven’t made the work yet, but I’ll be there a week beforehand which should be plenty of time’, provides a precise account of Jason Phu’s approach to art-making. His unpretentious titles tell his stories and could be notes scribbled in a diary, for instance, I walked into Glenn's office and he offered me a cup of coffee but didn't have any which was very rude, then he said "you should draw on rubbish," and I said "ok," and then I left. Phu is blunt, funny, loves pizza and Chinese dragons. The craftsmanship of his ancestors is given a contemporary makeover as Phu adeptly connects the finely tuned calligraphic skills of Chinese painters with street arts of the 21st Century.

CCAS Director David Broker said, “Many people will be shocked by Jason Phu’s crude texts on walls and discarded objects such as doors, fridges and microwaves. He is an artist who pushes his luck, however, like the masters of scroll painting and calligraphy he sometimes references, Phu is a highly skilled practitioner who intuitively gets it right. When it comes to making dynamic art from trash he has no peers.”

Image: I walked into Glenn's office and he offered me a cup of coffee but didn't have any which was very rude, then he said "you should draw on rubbish," and I said "ok," and then I left. Mixed media installation (texta, spray paint, ink on used mattresses, washing machines, fridges, detritus), dimensions variable, 2015, Commissioned by Art Month Sydney.

Image: Jason Phu Canberra Contemporary Art Space installation photograph