Trouble in the Order by Brendan Kelly

The Wellington Gallery presents Trouble in the Order, an exhibition of new abstract paintings by emerging artist Brendan Kelly.

2020 has been a challenging year for many. With ravaging bushfires destroying hectares of Australian land affecting many communities, together with the Covid-19 pandemic; disappointment, upheaval and loss has dominated the Australian experience. As our belief systems, ideologies and faith have all been brought into question, anger and frustration has intensified… the ‘solid ground’ beneath our feet has begun to crack, crumble and fall away. Order is under threat.

The exhibition explores if there really is ‘Trouble in the Order’. Through a collective of painted discombobulated characters and tones that resonate with the Australian landscape, Kelly’s aim is to draw the viewer into a surreal visual experience that evokes a reflection of our struggles over the past year, whilst challenging the human worldview and our perception of ‘normal’. Is there really any order to life? A pattern, path or ‘Way’? Is anything really ‘wrong’ or is it just our flawed expectations and understanding? After all, what is order and what is disorder?