Sutton Gallery is proud to present Sailors Three, an exhibition that brings together for the first time Luscombe’s three strands of practice: furniture-making, painting and ceramics.

Comprised of paintings and ceramics which are hung, leant and embedded in a series of wooden furniture that sit half way between sculpture and functional objects, this body of work is peppered with motifs associated with the ocean and the shoreline. Imagery is drawn from a range of sources including nautical themed clothing worn by the artist, imagery of St Kilda’s foreshore where Luscombe attempted plein air, the cartoon character Pop eye the Sailor man as well as other objects that surround Luscombe in her daily life.  

While the exhibition muses on current Australian politics played out upon bodies far out on the ocean, Luscombe resolutely situates her observations within her own relatively mild daily experiences in a hope to reconcile her personal narrative within the troubling current political climate. This is amplified by the use of furniture as the framework for ceramic and painting, situating these works within the comfortable and familiar realm of one’s domestic space. Moving between representation and abstraction in the paintings, the image of the ocean becomes like a daily reminder of the politics that we are all implicated in.

Connected to this personal narrative, the secondary subject of the exhibition is the figure of the artist and their role more broadly. The paintings in the exhibition present a number of different artistic figures: the amateur artist, the painter tucked away in the studio, or out in the landscape conducting plein air. Luscombe considers the relationship between the figure of the artist and their role in our current political scene to build a series of images that are quietly ambivalent. Additionally, Three Sailors continues Luscombe’s investigation into an expanded concept of painting– part sculpture, part furniture, part painting – these works reflect on how painting can have a functional use. Liang Luscombe completed a Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours (Visual) from the Canberra School of Art, Australian National University in 2010. Recent solo exhibitions include: Non in Casa, 157 Blyth St, Melbourne, 2013; Bauhaus Fisher Price, TCB art inc., Melbourne, 2012; String Strung Out, Seventh Gallery, Melbourne, 2011; and Limp Liquidation, Platform ARI; Sample Space, Melbourne, 2010. Selected group exhibitions include: No fond return of love, I.C.A.N., Sydney, 2014; Dear Masato, all at once, Margaret Lawrence Gallery, Melbourne, 2014; Synonyms for Sincerity, Alaska Projects, Sydney, 2013; Please be quiet, The British School at Rome, Rome, 2013; Spazi Aperti, The Romanian Academy, Rome, 2013; Signature Style, Craft Victoria, Melbourne, 2013; Navel Gazing, Utopian Slumps, Melbourne, 2013; Fresh Paint, Sutton Projects, Melbourne, 2012; Ménage a Trois, XYZ Gallery Tokyo, 2012; Impossible Objects, Utopian Slumps, Melbourne, 2011. Luscombe was the recipient of an Australia Council JUMP Mentorship in 2013 and was mentored by Angela Brennan. She has also held residencies at the Australia Council Studio, British School at Rome in 2013 and PICA Studio Residency in 2011. Luscombe is currently the Program Curator at West Space, Melbourne