CHRIS BOND, C-LEVEL, CAVE CLAN, ROD DICKINSON/THE CIRCLEMAKERS, CRITICAL ART ENSEMBLE, DOLE ARMY, CLAIRE HEALY AND SEAN CORDEIRO, ANITA JOHNSTON AND MIKE PELLETIER, PRINCESS PAULIE, CASSANDRA TYTLER AND PHILLIP PIETRUSCHKA, MIRANDA WILLIAMS.CURATED BY REBECCA CANNON

CULT CLASSIC
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THE FINE ART OF THE CULT. Cult Classic brought together the work of 14 Australian and international artists in a fascinating and provocative exploration of the power, mythologies and cultural aftermath of cults. Curated for the 2004 Next Wave Festival by young curator Rebecca Cannon, Cult Classic exposed the aesthetics, practices and philosophies of cults, in search of their ultimate secrets. Elements of society that earn the status of “Cult” arouse fear and hatred in their critics, whilst passionately inspiring clans of devotees. From pop culture to divine spirituality, the exhibition revealed the way that cults inspire and ignite our collective consciousness. Artists and projects in Cult Classic included: UK artist Rod Dickinson, aka the Circlemakers, who made their first Australian appearance. The Circlemakers presented evidence surrounding the phenomena of crop circles, paradoxically creating these huge-scale phenomena and then questioning their existence, invoking questions of belief and social control. NSW artist Princess Paulie, whose Weapons of Deception was a collection of ceramic gas canisters, grenades, flame throwers and bomber-engines, represented the fear which terrorism evokes in both popular culture and the media. Anita Johnson and Mike Pelletier, from Australia and Canada, whose work CuteXdoom presented a game installation that explored modern cultures' addiction to cuteness and fabricated entities. Your mission was to become a member of the toy worshipping yumi-co cult and gain access to the exclusive temple-quarters. Across a range of media and from diverse viewpoints, Cult Classic sought to engage, unsettle and inspire. As part of the exhibition program, visiting international artists from Cult Classic gave free, informal floortalks on their work at Gertrude Contemporary. These included talks by UK artist Rod Dickinson, curator of Cult Classic Rebecca Cannon and Brody Condon.

Cult Classic was generously supported by Redgum Audio, The British Council and the University of West England. 

 Cult Classic (Next Wave Festival) Chris Bond, C-Level, Cave Clan, Critical Art Ensemble, Rod Dickenson / The Circlemakers, Dole Army, Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro, Anita Johnston and Mike Pelletier, Princess Paulie, Cassandra Tytler and Phillip Pietruschka, Miranda Williams, 7 - 31 May 2003, Text: Rebecca Cannon
A5 catalogue, colour reproductions, 28 pages, $5.50