Gregory Bennett. Juried Artist
Constellations
The Cube at QUT Gardens Point
Artist Statement
‘Metroplex’ (2024) has its origins in a language-based work by American-born Fluxus artist Ken Friedman: ‘City’ (1967)an absurdist instructional text that charges the viewer to build a city made of found materiallet it grow and expandand then abandon it. Taking this text as a prompt for a collaborative workGregory Bennett started creating a 3D animation constructed from his large database of 3D animated loops created over the past 15 years and free 3D assets sourced from the internet. This developing imagery was shared with artist and musician Stephen Reay who built an audio counterpoint to the animation. This audio and digital art collaboration was also a response to a shared curiosity in the conception of ‘long sound’ to explore the relationship between audio and animation through a continuous and unbroken spatio-temporal/aural moving image work. The work is informed by philosopher Paul Virilio’s notion of “The Overexposed City” that posits advancements in media and communication technologies were dismantling the traditionally defined space-time of urban environmentsrendering them less hospitable for human habitation. Virilio attributed this shift directly to the emergence of ‘telematics,’ which was reshaping spatial organization by reconfiguring established boundaries according to a novel topology.
About the artists
Gregory Bennett is a digital artist based in Aotearoa/New Zealand who explores utopian/dystopian paradox through representations of the multiplied digital bodyusing 3D animation in a practice that encompasses motion captureprojection mappingand interactive media. Bennett’s work has been exhibited widely in art galleriesfestivals and public spaces in USAChinaAustraliaand Europe. He is represented by Two Rooms Gallery.
Steve Reay is a Professor of designecologist and artist who uses improvision and repetition to explore representations of wellbeing. He also recorded and performed as guitarist and vocalist in Flying Nun bands Vor-stellenAvoid!Avoid and the Subliminals.
Credits: Gregory Bennett and Stephen Reay