ASHLEY BICKERTON

After achieving early success in New York in the 1980s together with his peers Jeff Koons, Peter Halley and Meyer Vaisman – Bickerton left for Bali in 1993, in search of a deeper connection to his practice. There, he observed the transformation of the once-remote Indonesian island into an international tourist destination. Since his move, several elements have frequently appeared – one, the blue man, a caricature of the stereotypical Western traveler, an ‘alien in paradise’; another, painted silver-white women, amalgamations with Pacific and Southeast Asian influences, once described as ‘trophy wives’. In a self-reflective and satirical twist, Bickerton often uses family and friends as the models for these personas – the silver lady often resembling his Balinese wife, while he appears in self-portraits as the blue man.

Through his sculptural works, Bickerton explores other facets of island-life: TITNW5 features an imposing coral-like exterior, hiding the sordid underbelly of a hedonistic tourist industry; the awe-inspiring Shark presented in bronze as a totemic object from regions beyond. The flotsam paintings are Bickerton’s latest works, depicting beach debris laid out in undulating lines of waves washing ashore, to be reclaimed and transported by the sea. Known for his scathing social commentaries, Bickerton’s work critiques the fantasy of the island utopia, exploring its reality as a de-cultured touristic locale that has been reconstructed to feed the westernized paradise ideal.

Heresy or Codswallop brings together 19 major artworks from 6 of Bickerton’s celebrated series: ‘Blue Man’, ‘Mitochondrial Eve’, ‘Silver Ladies’, ‘Coral’, ‘Wall-Wall’, and ‘Flotsam’ – in addition to several new paintings and sculptures. Each series embodies a distinct visual language employing a variety of materials including canvas, jute, aluminium, bronze, steel, wood, and found objects.

An exhibition catalogue published in conjunction with the opening will feature a critical essay by art historian Gregory Galligan, providing an extensive look at Bickerton’s practice from the 90s to today.