We spoke with artist Jack Hadley about his upcoming presentation with Laree Payne Gallery at the Fair. Read on to discover more about Jack’s creative journey and what we can expect to see:
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What can we expect to see in your presentation with Laree Payne Gallery at the Aotearoa Art Fair?
I have been working on a new series of modular furniture pieces. For the fair, I will be presenting a collection of seats, a table, and a floor lamp. The works are assembled from custom aluminium components that are powder-coated in an array of colours. The colours and parts are combined in different ways so that each work is unique.
Image credits: SS3_11, 2024, Powder coated aluminium, aluminium, thermoplastic polyester, stainless steel fixings, 44.5 x 45 x 35. Image by Mark Hamilton. Courtesy of the artist and Laree Payne Gallery
You blend different references in your art, from architecture to children’s toys. What do these influences mean to you personally?
I get really excited about lots of different things and this is reflected in the work I make. I borrow materials, forms, and techniques from different disciplines and contexts. The lamp I am making for the fair draws upon the Vienna Secession as well as the temporary signals used in roadworks. I enjoy this way of working and the layering of disparate references.
Your pieces are known for their unique visual language. Can you walk us through how you develop the aesthetic of your work?
Like the furniture for the fair, much of my recent work is assembled from interchangeable parts. The visual language of the work is a way of expressing this modular logic. Joints are exaggerated, and components are painted different colours to show how the works fit together. While the modular forms are informed by utilitarian industrial design, I am interested in the decorative possibilities of working this way. By exaggerating a joint profile it becomes like a baroque motif.
Image credits: SS3_01, 2024, Powder coated aluminium, aluminium, thermoplastic polyester, stainless steel fixings, 44.5 x 45 x 35. Image by Mark Hamilton. Courtesy of the artist and Laree Payne Gallery
Many of your works seem playful at first glance but reveal deeper meaning on closer inspection. How do you hope people experience your art?
This sense of play is more important to me than a deeper meaning. In making the work, I am very directly playing with colour and form. I hope this transfers to how the audience engages with the work. Because the works are modular, I like the idea that people can imagine other possibilities for the work and how the components can be assembled.
How do you see your art practice evolving, and what direction are you most excited to explore?
At the moment, I am learning about electronics and have been producing my own custom circuit boards. I am really excited about the technical possibilities and aesthetic language of circuit board design and how I can apply these in my practice.
Photo by Sam Hartnett, courtesy of Objectspace.