There is not an artist in the world who knows more
about Australia's
Gold Coast than my friend of many years Scott Redford.
Born in Broadbeach in 1962, Redford has since 1983, continued a prolific art practice which whilst coming from an art
historical standpoint
has encapsulated everything from local and international
pop culture imagery, minimalism, queer art, conceptualism,
documentation of
local mid-century architecture,
surf culture, and a vigorous fascination with
memory, desire, nostalgia and place.
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| Catalogue cover Scott Redford Selected Works 1983-1992 |
The place being Australia's coastal tourism capital
the Gold Coast.
Our version of Miami Florida, Santa Monica or
Venice California,
Palm Springs, Las Vegas or indeed Florida's own Gold Coast,
or a mash up of all of the above.
The Gold Coast being in Redford's
words,
'the most post modern and fastest growing city in Australia',
has
continued to be the backdrop to which
Redford has based almost 30 years of art
practice.
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| Paradise Waters early 1970's |
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| Mid-century beach bungalow, Broadbeach |
Typically perceived as the cultural backwater with
its co-existence of kitschy glitzy night life, tourist playground, beach
culture, and property development, Redford has hailed the city
'A work of art in itself!'
 |
| Surf Painting/Modernist House 2000 decal, polyester resin, fibreglass and acrylic lacquer on foam |
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| Surf Painting /House corner of Surf Parade and First Avenue, Broadbeach, Gold Coast 2001 (detail) decal, resin fibreglass and acrylic on foam |
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| Surf Painting/Black Palms 2000 decal, resin fibreglass & synthetic polymer on foam |
He optimistically embraces his hometown and
in typical Warholian fashion continues to be interested in the idea that pop
culture is just as important as what is deemed to be 'high art' and that the lines
are now permanently blurred!
Redford forever interested in the concept of
'otherness'
has continued to ask the question:
'Does locality fail?'
Why is anything which comes from outside the
cultural epicentres of the world whether that be New York or Melbourne,
regarded as less important?
And in fact similar comparisons can be made regarding the status of
New York versus Los Angeles artists. Indeed California is currently celebrating its own history of
mass culture in many exhibitions such as the current
'California Art and Design - Living in a Modern Way' at LACMA .
mass culture in many exhibitions such as the current
'California Art and Design - Living in a Modern Way' at LACMA .
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| Glazed Ceramic Skull for use in the proposed film Reinhardt Dammn 2008 |
During the 1980's, 1990's and 2000's Redford has
produced an impressive array of art comprising painting, sculpture,
installation, video, photography, and the ever popular surfboard paintings.
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| Here We Are Now/Entertain Us 1999 custom made surfboard cross |
He is one of the few Australian artists who has embraced the process of
collaboration with countless craftsmen and technicians, to produce his art.
Something, 'internationally' so commonplace a'la Warhol and Koons.
 |
| Sculpture to Lean Against and Discuss Pictures 2004 |
Now the work which is emerging in the younger
generation of artists
both nationally and internationally,
is so reminiscent of
much of Redford's back catalogue.
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| Floor piece detail 1962 2003 |
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| Detail from floor piece from exhibition 1962 2003 |
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| After Robert Rauschenberg enamel over paper on canvas 1991 |
And in fact his construction of a
fictional young artist Reinhardt Dammn, the cute surfie who makes art, serves
to illustrate the point in Redford's more recent work showcased at the
'Scott Redford introducing Reinhardt Dammn' in 2011.
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| Reinhardt Dammn Introducing Scott Redford QAG 2011 |
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| QAG gallery view Scott Redford introducing Reinhardt Dammn 2011 |
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| Polar bear in the Water Mall QAG 2011 |
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| Proposal for a Gold Coast public Sculpture to commemorate Nirvana coming to the Gold Coast/Surf & Kurt 2008 |
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| The High/Perpetual Christmas No Abstractions 2008 outside GOMA Brisbane |
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| A Proposal for a Gold Coast Sculpture/ A Place In the Sun 2005 |
Now, with the cultural entrenchment of what used to
be called
'the information super highway' and all that goes with the world of
social network and instant gratification, where everyone can be famous for way
more than 15 minutes, I think that
locality does not and should not fail.
locality does not and should not fail.
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| Automatic For The People/Surf 1997 epoxy coated custom wood |
Scott Redford gets a birthday wish from me.
To my friend of almost 40 years and to someone who always inspires me.....
Happy birthday!
The
Gold Coast now belongs to the global village.
Surfers Paradise has just 'entered the building!'
'Our goal must be nothing less than the establishment
of Surfers Paradise on earth!'
'Our goal must be nothing less than the establishment
of Surfers Paradise on earth!'
Scott Redford is currently working in Berlin.
Words J Watson-Evans
Images via
'1962 Scott Redford Selected Works 1983-1992; Scott Redford and the Gold Coast 'The Content of these paintings is secret, known only to the people of Surfers Paradise Gold Coast City Art Gallery; Scott Redford Introducing Reinhardt Dammn QAG/GOMA 2011; J Watson-Evans; Brisbane Times.com.au
