Fan 2016
Ian Potter Museum of Art, Melbourne
18 Jul y - 5 November 2016
Srivilasa utilised his fascination in the act of collecting and fandom as the creative theme for the prestigious Basil Sellers Art Prize.
Curious to discover what drives enthusiasts to devote so much time and money to amassing objects, the artist conducted clay modelling workshops with collectors of art and of sports memorabilia. These sessions generated engaging and revealed conversation and key phrases which were noted by Srivilasa as reference for his artwork.
Initially, Srivilasa focused on the perceived differences between what art and sport, however the workshops demonstrated that the language of collectors is similar regardless of the nature of their collections.
The resulting work entitled, Fan is a witty union of art and sport.
The success of each unlikely juxtaposition hinges upon the recognisability of objects, people, and gestures, so famous that they have transcended their context and entered into the realm of pop culture reference.
“I make each sculpture by pairing an iconic artwork with a star athlete.
Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker (1903) wears a full-length swimsuit instantly recalling Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe.
Jeff Koons’ Balloon Dog sculpture morph into tennis player Lleyton Hewitt making his trademark ‘C’mon’ hand gesture.
The mask of bushranger Ned Kelly, immortalised in the paintings of Sidney Nolan, peeks out from the hood of Cathy Freeman’s Sydney Olympic Games body suit.
Ai Wei Wei’s sunflower seeds and the signature ‘double cobra’ pose of AFL player Levi Casboult. ”
