eX de Medici: Beautiful Wickedness Resource
eX de Medici / Australia b.1959 / The theory of everything (detail) 2005 / Watercolour and metallic pigment on Arches paper / 114.3 x 176.3cm / Purchased 2005 / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © eX de Medici / View full image
When
24 Jun – 2 Oct 2023
Where
Gallery of Modern Art, Gallery 1.2 & Gallery 1.3 (Eric and Marion Taylor Gallery)
Australian artist eX de Medici is dedicated to uncloaking abuses of power and revealing their effects on everyday lives. She captivates us with beauty, only to bring us face to face with the wickedness of our own destructive habits. At the heart of de Medici’s practice lies her concerns for the value and fragility of life, the corrupting effects of capitalism and consumption, and humanity’s impact on the natural world.
‘Beautiful Wickedness’ surveys the artist’s 40-year career, showcasing her exemplary skills and her incisive commentary on contemporary life.
Suitable for secondary levels.
About the resource
This resource includes information about the artist's practice, explores eX de Medici's use of allegory, and offers ideas for making and responding.
Teacher tip: Print pages 5 and 6 from the 'Allegory and the 'Big Pictures'' section to support students during your visit or in the classroom. This section features selected works that can be used as starting points for exploring the ideas and concerns that drive eX de Medici's practice.
Exhibition themes
The recurring motifs of the moth and the gun in eX de Medici’s work represent two parallel 'ecologies': nature that has adapted and evolved over millennia to survive, and humanity, whose technologies are rapidly destroying both themselves and the planet. At the heart of de Medici’s practice lies her concerns for the value and fragility of life, the corrupting effects of capitalism and consumption, and destructive impact of humans on the natural world.
The issues that de Medici foregrounds in her work are fundamentally important to her and many others – her approach is to encourage discussion around these difficult topics. However, some students may find these works unsettling and confronting.