The New Rock Art

"Monument #19: Sexy Beast" Callum Morton. Christchurch. Oct.2008. Ajr

Melbourne-based artist, Callum Morton’s SCAPE 2008 biennial artwork, “Monument #19: Sexy Beast” gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘rock art.’ By day you’d drive by the innocuous little Linwood building it sits in without a second glance (one of the major drawbacks of a few too many Scape works this year); but by night it takes on a whole other life. The old fruit shop window is illuminated with a warm glow, showing off the ‘meteorite’ that has crashed through the roof of the building, disturbing the spatial status quo. Even knowing it is a ‘creation’, the whole effect is still a little unnerving and ‘other-worldly.’ It’s a total assault on our expectations and I think it’s one of the more successful works of SCAPE 2008. To view other biennial works I’ve sought out, click on Scape Biennial in the label line below.