geoff overheu

everybody knows...

22 may - 20 june 2009

Geoff has a close affinity with the land, living and farming on a rural property in Gingin. His artworks explore various relationships between ‘urban romantic’ and ‘rural’ Australia, engaging with images associated with landscape.

While the former may have images of vast landscapes with kangaroos, cockatoos and huge open skies, our rural iconography presents quite a contrast.

By combining a rural iconography with references to art history/theory, Geoff’s works synthesize new ideas regarding our attitudes towards the Australian landscape. For example, the notion of ‘Pop Ecology’, which is a humorous homage to Andy Warhol’s parody of consumer desire and is underpinned by an irony that emphasizes our continued over-use and consumption of the land and our absurd illusion that things will be okay.

Geoff uses a wide range of materials to create his sculptures, from plaster to bronze. Some works draw directly from art history, such as the plaster inflatable kangaroo that sadly holds a deflating companion, echoing the famous pieta by Michelangelo. Tragic and humorous, this combination of unusual objects and materials is an exploration of specific themes that entices a response from the viewer. Presenting such images in a popular culture format will encourage his audience to draw new meanings and perhaps have a new perspective on the Australian landscape.

Geoff studied at Central TAFE, went on to do a BA at Curtin University and followed this with an Honours Degree from the VCA in Melbourne in 2004. His works can be found in the collections of Central TAFE, ARM Architects, Glick International and many private collections across Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

geoff overheu artwork
everybody knows the dice are loaded
bronze
10 x 70 x 6cm
2008
$440 each or $4,400 set
geoff overheu artwork
everybody knows about the absence of meaning
bronze
dimensions variable [26cm max height]
2009
$5,500
geoff overheu artwork
let me see your beauty when the witnesses have gone
plastic, fake diamond, hair
50 x 45 x 36cm
2009
$1,800 sold
geoff overheu artwork
three bronze dead cows
bronze [unique state]
25 x 16 x 40cm [x3]
2009
$2,400
geoff overheu artwork
the lack of memory in the field of dreams
plastic, steel, fabric
275 x 190 x 60cm
2009
$6,600
geoff overheu artwork
my vanity is greater than my misery
plastic, steel, fabric
275 x 190 x 60cm
2009
$6,600
geoff overheu artwork
the lack of memory in the land of plenty
plastic, steel, mixed media
184 x 70 x 60cm
2008
$4,400
geoff overheu artwork
mater et infans bovine
plastic, steel
290 x 220 x 25cm
2008
$6,600
geoff overheu artwork
everybody knows the fight was fixed
plastic, bronze, steel
115 x 50 x 110cm
2009
$3,300
geoff overheu artwork
la pieta macropoda
plastic, steel
115 x 80 x 120cm
2008
$3,300
geoff overheu artwork
everybody knows that's how it goes
plastic, steel, lace
145 x 100 x 20cm
2008
$5,500