Throughout the last two decades, acclaimed street artist Rone has founded himself as a pillar of Melbourne’s creative cultural identity. He has cultivated a dualistic theme amongst his pieces; representing his interpretation of ‘the friction point between beauty and decay’ as he reinvents idle spaces with melancholy portraits of women and haunting domestic scenes.
Rone’s most recent exhibition at Geelong Gallery explores the stylistic and thematic evolution of his work. Surveying the pieces that cemented him within the once burgeoning Melbourne urban art scene, through to haunting large-scale murals of adept painterly expertise. Early stencils and prints, emulating his Jane Doe motif, are showcased alongside photographs of his expansive murals and mixed-media studio works – underscoring his transition from subculture to contemporary.
The featuring site-specific installation is the transformation of a room within the gallery, an eloquent response to the architecture and cultural history of the space. Composed to capture weathered opulence, the immersive mural draws onlookers within its enigmatic narrative and plays upon expanding his dualism motif with ‘light and dark’, compounding the central theme to the enduring and obsolete, permanent and ephemeral.
The Year 11 VCE Art class was thoroughly enjoyed the experience to travel to Geelong to participate in this experiential exhibition. Being within Rone’s art was a transformative experience for the whole class and most certainly inspired our current painting assessment class. We are so fortunate to have the freedom to now visit exhibitions and view art through the gallery experience, which is an important part of the artistic process for students.
It was a wonderful experience and highly recommended to the Carey community.
Emma
Year 11 VCE Art student
