“Pygmalion”
Sullivan+Strumpf
Singapore
The ‘Pygmalion effect’ is the phenomenon in which higher expectations lead to an increase in performance. Its inverse is the ‘Golem effect’, by which low expectations lead to a decrease in performance. Both effects are forms of a self-fulfilling prophecy; both observable effects at play in a world divided by the privilege of circumstance.
Using these themes, Seton replaces components of antique and modern bentwood chairs with his familiar medium of marble and digitally printed plastic proxies. The result is a series of hybrids in which the mass-produced melds with the hand made.
— Excerpt from exhibition essay by Chloé Wolifson
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Alex Seton’s artistic practice incorporates photography, video, sculpture and installation to investigate the complex relationship between form and substance. He is best known for his marble carving, applying his refined craftsmanship to unexpected forms. By infusing the rich heritage of Classical carving with contemporary concerns and materials, Seton gives weight to the issues we face here and now. As well as interrogating the creative process itself through performance, video and participatory works, Seton’s recent bodies of work have explored contemporary political themes, addressing the common humanity that prevails in the face of ongoing upheavals experienced across the globe.
Seton has exhibited extensively both nationally and internationally. In 2017 Newcastle Art Gallery will hold a major survey show of his work. Solo exhibitions include As of Today, Australian War Memorial, Canberra (2014-15), Last Resort, touring McClelland Sculpture Park + Gallery, Langwarrin; Linden Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne; Rockhampton Art Gallery, Rockhampton (2014-15), Refoulement, Sullivan+Strumpf, Sydney (2014) and Roughing Out, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre, Sydney (2013). Recent group exhibitions include Kochi-Muziris Biennale, India (2016); Gifted Artists: Donations by Patrick Corrigan AM, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra (2014), Conflict: Contemporary Responses to War, University of Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane (2014) and Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Dark Heart, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.
