Words: Saskia Edwards
Images: Jonathan Rae
By definition, a test pattern is a
television signal when nothing is being broadcasted. It’s that frame with
multi-coloured stripes that appears in every 90s cliché when something goes
wrong on air. But usually, it’s projected when a station is being started up or
closed down.
What’s the relevance to Ryan Renshaw’s
gallery? Perhaps it’s to do with the startup.
The ‘Test Pattern’ exhibition has launched
many of Queensland’s new artists – Kirra Jamison, Phoebe McDonald and Alex
Cuffe.
Zoe Knight is part of this select group chosen
by gallery owner and curator Ryan Renshaw.
“This exhibition has been going for a
number of years and I’ve seen a whole bunch of really great artists be given
the opportunity to show in a commercial gallery and essentially sell their
works and get their name out,” she says.
“Which is all very important in this
industry.”
Zoe’s works are sculpture based, often
using raw found materials. Much of the work seems unadulterated – just a
selection of objects manipulated and organised together.
“It’s basically just process and aesthetic
and just working with the materials to transform them unusually.
“A lot of the time the materials that I
chose are linear and can fit in my hands so I can just work with them without
having to use other tools.
“It’s much more immediate.”
Zoe is exhibiting along with another QUT
graduate and a post-QCA student. Ryan attends all the art school graduate shows
and selects the young artists that he is most interested in. Zoe says she uses
these other artworks to guide her installations.
“Also working with the space that I’m going
to install them in to create an installation that responds to the space around
them as well as the other works in the space.”
And the anticipation continues – for these young artists after the test pattern
lines have disappeared, what’s next?
Disclaimer (FULL DISCLOSURE: The author and photographer have a personal relationship with Zoe Knight)
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