Jon Cattapan, Viridian Eye

OVER THE LAST thirty years, Jon Cattapan has established a reputation as one of Australia’s most significant and prolific painters. In this new body of works at Sutton Gallery, Melbourne, Viridian Eye, the artist extends his exploration of ‘Night Visions’ drawn from his experiences as a commissioned artist for the Australian War Memorial in Timor Leste during 2008.
Whilst in Timor Leste, Cattapan visited a number of temporary bases at Gleno, Bacau, Maliana and Vekeki. Following Australian peace keeping forces on their night patrols, the artist was able to digitally record images of expeditions using night vision and infrared technology. Here, Cattapan captured the sporadic fluctuations of night vision data as it intersected with the physical landscape, to reveal pockets of human activity and interaction. In this way, the experience can be understood to have resonated strongly with Cattapan’s previous and iconic explorations of cityscapes that have often depicted the interrelationship of human activity and networks of digital exchange.

Exhibition: 24 June – 24 July, 2010
Opening: Saturday 26th June, 3-6pm
Sutton Gallery, 254 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

13 Feb – 25 July 2010
NGV International—St Kilda Rd, Melbourne