“Speech Patterns”, Nadia Hernández and Jon Campbell ·
Art Gallery of Western Australia, 30 September 2022 ·

Colourful paintings, drawings, posters, flags and banners evoke both celebration and spirited conversation in “Speech Patterns”.

Curated by Robert Cook, this joint exhibition of work by contemporary artists Nadia Hernández and Jon Campbell is currently on display at the Art Gallery of Western Australia.

Jon Campbell, who was born in Belfast and grew up in Melbourne, has a wry sense of humour in his exploration of the traditional Australian attitudes of larrikinism and egalitarianism.

This is especially apparent when employing type, with the main feature of paintings Undressing in Public Prohibited (2019) and Up Shit Creek (2014) being the titles themselves. In abstracting the words in crisp all-caps overlaid on a bright backdrop, he injects a dark optimism into complaints about conversative social mores and the experience of being down on your luck, respectively.

In contrast, the individual letters in Your application was unsuccessful (2022) are painted in various colours and font styles, camouflaging the message to some extent. Perhaps this symbolises the oft-camouflaged layers of government bureaucracy that act as arbiters in what is supposed to be a society equal in opportunity.

Melbourne and Sydney-based Nadia Hernández interrogates the social and political injustice of her native Venezuela in bold fashion through her vibrant paintings, protest posters and banners.

The three textile works in which Hernández has incorporated her grandfather’s poetry – flags Cae El Telón De La Noche, Un Ejército De Luces Entretejen La Ciudad (The Curtain Of The Night Falls, An Army Of Lights Interlace The City) (2018) and Bólidos Zizagueantes Atrapan La Soledad (Zigzagging Race Cars Trap Loneliness) (2018), and the kite-like Arco Iris De Colores Alegran La Lejandad (Rainbow Of Colours Brighten The Distance) (2018) – are a standout inclusion.

One doesn’t need to understand Spanish to understand that the words in heavy black are a call to action, not an accessory. The effect is stirring.

While the local audience may be more familiar with many of Campbell’s references to places and events, there are also elements in Hernández’s work that are recognisable and relatable. In Pinta flores, pinta acuacates, pinta un bodegón ileno de cosas que te gustan, pinta algo que hayas cocinado con, tu madre, pinta… (2022), for example, we see the motifs, ideas and symbols from popular culture and everyday life that help us relate to and connect with others. A sketch-like background fills any gaps between the motifs, ensuring we get a full picture, so to speak.

In a time where we are bombarded with content, it can be easy to forget how much craft goes into ensuring messages have meaning and rhythm. This exhibition succeeds because of the synergy between the two artists’ works – a true two-way conversation.

“Speech Patterns” is exhibiting at the Art Gallery of Western Australia until 8 January 2023.

Pictured top: Jon Campbell, ‘Your application was unsuccessful’ 2022, synthetic polymer on linen, 167.5 x 243. 5 cm, The State Art Collection, The Art Gallery of Western Australia, © Jon Campbell