Stud Flight Mike Hewson

The oxymoronic, and frankly cheeky, nature of the exhibition's subtitle—a retrospective of new work—is not lost on anyone. There are, however, a number of factors at work, which interrogate and defuse this strange proposition. The first of these is Hewson’s career trajectory that has taken him from the studio, into public space, and then into the gallery. Note the order of the second and third parts of the equation, a reversal of the usual lineage of an emerging artist. Secondly, Hewson's practice is characterised by a prolific output across extremely varied media. And most of this output, or at least the work that has garnered the most attention, has been produced outside of, and without a studio. Finally, these public art projects are often of grand scale and evidence incredible ambition.

This retrospective then, is an opportunity to appraise the work Hewson has created over the last three years, but reimagined and recreated inside the gallery, as if the artist had a second chance to experiment. Usually celebratory occasions, the element of self-reflectivity is subordinated by a more nostalgic sense of self-reflection in most retrospectives. Seldom is the retrospective employed in a manner that aids the artist’s continuing development. The exhibition is an analysis of an artist whose research is praxis; it is a study of changing contexts, disciplines, and situations.

Click to download the exhibition text (PDF)

Mike Hewson completed a Bachelor of Engineering in 2007 at the University of Canterbury and lives and works between Christchurch, Sydney and Port Headland, Australia. Hewson’s work has been shown in a number of group and solo exhibitions, and his most recent collaboration was shown on the façade of the MCA, Sydney in 2013. He has recently been accepted into the Columbia University MFA programme.