Colleen Ahern, 'There Is a Light That Never Goes Out', 2010
Of Skins and Heart, Colleen Ahern’s current exhibition at Neon Parc is a slow burner. Earlier oil paintings depicting rock and roll heavyweights like David Bowie, Johnny Winter and Prince have been replaced by enigmatic works on paper. Music provides a starting point here – the artist paints performances by T-Rex, The Clash and The Who, but she concentrates on abstracted TV stills, not money shots. Each painting is rendered in delicate layers of colour that convey a technical sophistication less evident in earlier works. The show trades swagger for subtlety – Ahern is one to watch.
Of Skins and Heart, Neon Parc, 1/53 Bourke Street, Melbourne, until July 3.
