BSIDE Gallery presents PHASE III

Alex Meagher | Josh Lord | Will Coles

Three artists exploring ideological subversion in the present age, curated by Ariana Leane.

Curatorial statement:
The year is 1984, G. Edward Griffin sits down with former KGB operative Yuri Bezmenov to discuss ideological subversion – the theory of Russia’s long-term plan to defeat America through psychological warfare and a general demoralisation of the nation across a period of decades.

The framework that the USSR practiced globally to intercept and persuade targeted societies was outlined by Bezmenov in four steps:

1. Demoralisation: This process requires approximately 15-20 years to educate a generation, by using media and people of political influence to question the morals and integrity of their nation. This was a rather simple achievement for Russia with regards to the USA.

2. Destabilisation: A much shorter process taking 2-5 years, this stage intends to alter the direction of the target nation’s defence, foreign relations, and economy.

3. Crisis: According to Bezmanov, this critical step should last a mere 6 weeks, involving a revolutionary change of power, such as the 2011 upheavals in Libya and Egypt.

4. Normalisation: The final stage where a military coup takes over the target nation, it succumbs to the ideals of communism, and the perception of the status quo is forever altered.

Chillingly, Bezmenov’s theory speaks to the current climate of modern times, most obviously the result and fallout of the Trump administration, and here in Australia, the disgraceful and disappointing rule of the evangelical christian Morrison LNP government.

We now find ourselves in the third phase of this framework, living through one of the strangest periods of our lifetime, however it is difficult to say that the USSR could have predicted such a global pandemic that has already lasted 12 months.

This exhibition also serves to showcase three artists that BSIDE Gallery are now formally representing in 2021:

Alex Meagher

Since discovering the darkroom in high school fifteen years ago, Alex is rarely seen without a camera in his immediate reach.

Initially Alex’s work focused on documenting the New Zealand punk scene, which he photographed for ten years before moving to Australia.

While staying true to his documentary roots Alex’s focus has shifted to utilise experimental and alternative techniques in a way that shows his surroundings in an unfamiliar light.

Josh Lord

Josh Lord, born 1972 and raised in the bayside suburb of Mornington, Victoria, started his career as an independent Australian artist in 1992.

Influenced by cultural movements and art genres including Pop Art, Dada and Surrealism. His paintings are a mix of all those styles and movements.
​
Josh has no formal fine art qualification; he is a self-taught artist and his inspiration and main influences to pursue a career in visual arts have been Germany’s Bauhaus Theory,
John Brack, James Rosenquist, an American artist who was one of the protagonists in the Pop-Art movement, as well as Robert Rauschenberg and Barbara Kruger.

Will Coles

Will Coles work occupies a space somewhere between Pop & Conceptual, with most of this work falling into the ‘street art’ movement.

His work deals with such issues as consumerism as well as environmental & social concerns, usually delivered with his own signature dark sense of humour. His sculptures are usually a combination of an everyday object, such as a TV, mobile phone, football, with a word or sentence, cast in concrete.

Due to the proliferation of his ‘street art’ sculptures & despite the strength of the glue he uses he is currently considered the most stolen artist in history.

Whilst his sculptures are in major public & private collections here & overseas there are also thousands of his non-commissioned public installations in various cities across several continents.

He currently operates somewhere in Europe.

——-

Keep up to date with the event over at Facebook HERE

Get down to the opening reception from 6pm Friday 26th February, proudly supported by Atomic Beer Project and Haymes Paint.

For all enquiries please email info@bsidegallery.com

BSIDE Gallery
Level 1 121 Brunswick St
Fitzroy VIC 3065