Thematic exploration often runs riot in the art world, each artist deliberating, pursuing and approaching new mediums and ideas with increasingly diverse and exciting motifs, and Non-Fiction is no exception.

“As the title suggests, Non-Fiction evokes an emotional truth in a sometimes complicated and mysterious world. Exploring the dull and the unexceptional makes way for ideas of grandeur as we consider life in other parts of the universe and also another side to ourselves. All the works are intertwined by the notion that there is more to life than what we already know, feel and see. While it is easy to go through life accepting it for what it is, Non-Fiction acknowledges that there is more to a phone booth that the graffiti on the side, or that the night-sky could hold the threat of UFO abduction. The darkness of these images creates an ambiguous and ominous tone, yet they are clear in communicating notions of dual realities.”

With three artists involved in the show, there are three differing angles to the portrayal of each story. Rooted in the “real world” their images and visages of self introspection will be juxtaposed with an outward looking, extrovertic view that will attempt to bring the work together in a cohesive display of personal mythology.

“While all three artists draw from their own very different life experiences, there is nevertheless a sense of continuity in their use of the everyday and the unexpected. There are two sides to every story, and it is this relatable theme that runs through the work in this exhibition. Considering the transformation of personalities in Munro’s work, the thought that something else is out there in Fletcher’s work, and that even the mundane can appear remarkable in Scale’s work – all artists are grappling with the notion that things are not what they appear in an otherwise conventional world.”

“Perhaps as an audience we will consider the works in this exhibition while suspending our disbelief, but the reality they generate is just as strong as the imagination. Non-Fiction is also a journey of self-discovery, and the work attempts to project a part of the artist in the image. In exploring the mysteries of space and the urban streets, or another part of their personalities, Fletcher, Scale and Munro not only demonstrate their understanding of the world, but their own place in it.”

Sometimes, truth really can be more wondrous, and beautiful, than the aspiration of fictions promise.

Who: Gillian Fletcher, Cam Scale, Kimberley Munro
What: Non-Fiction group show
Where: Obscura Gallery, First Floor, 285 Carlisle St, East St Kilda, Melbourne
When: Show opens Thursday 21st July, from 6pm til 8:30pm

Check out the Obscura gallery website, and the Facebook event for details on the show.