Anna McMahon, Untitled # 24 from the series the world is weary of me and I am weary of it, 2015, basketball hoop, basketball, wattle, red hot poker, 120 x 120cm. Image credit: Salote Tawale.

On the turning point of becoming and returning

Anna McMahon

On the turning point of becoming and returning, is a two part exhibition held across MOP Projects, Chippendale and Peacock Gallery, Auburn. These exhibitions draw upon ideas presented in the iconic Japanese Ikebana text by H.E. Davey where he suggests that, “In Kado (Ikebana), one finally observes a flower in a state of such heightened awareness that no distinction exists between the observer and the observed. And in that instant, one realises the essence of existence in a single petal poised between life and death.” These exhibitions examine the possibility of using flowers as subject and object in the context of the gallery, and how in this context their role, relationship, value and social meaning is questioned.

Anna McMahon is an artist and curator. She completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Hons) at Sydney College of the Arts (USYD) in 2010, a Master of Art Curatorship at The University of Sydney in 2011 and a Master of Fine Arts at Sydney College of the Arts (USYD) in 2015. She is a 2015/2016 Co-Director at Firstdraft Gallery Sydney, and a resident artist at Parramatta Artist Studios in 2016. In 2015 she was the winner of the Sydney College of the Arts Dominik Mersch Gallery Award. McMahon also collaborates with fellow artist Kate Beckingham as OK YEAH COOL GREAT. She has shown nationally and internationally in solo, group and curatorial projects in various galleries including Open Source Gallery (NY), Raygun (QLD), Gaffa (NSW), Metro Arts (QLD) and Verge Gallery (NSW). As OK YEAH COOL GREAT, she was part of the 2014 SafARI Live program.

Photos by Docqment

MOP Projects is supported by the NSW Government through Arts NSW

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