John R. Neeson: "The Urban Bodegón"

John R. Neeson’s practice involves site-specific installations of mimetic works. His installations stem from an examination of the still life genre, which prompted Neeson to arrange and document still lifes found in window ledges and blind niches in the streets of Melbourne.

In an attitude related to the dérive and the flȃneur, the artist records found Still Lifes on his smart phone. While these occur outside the traditional exhibition environments, they conform to the conventions of display and social commentary inherent in traditional still lifes. By introducing these images into its canon, Neeson addresses the role of authorship and intent in contemporary art.

Biography

John R. Neeson lives and works in Melbourne, Australia. Neeson received PhD from Monash University (Melbourne) and completed his post-graduate studies at The Royal College of Art (London). His site- specific installations have been exhibited at venues such as Arthouse and Gas Works (London), Cité Internationale des Arts (Paris), ARCO (Lisbon) and AC Institute (New York). Neeson is the recipient of the American Australian Association Dame Joan Sutherland Fund and the Samstag International Visual Arts Scholarship.