By Candice Boyle
MARIBYRNONG artist Van Rudd will not be including Melbourne’s West in his national tour next month, instead debate of his controversial work is set to continue through a much wider audience.
Mr Rudd will introduce a large audience to his work when he takes his often controversial pieces through parts of Brisbane, Byron Bay, Fremantle, Canberra and Mt Macedon as part of his tour of The Carriers – Local Terrain.
Mr Rudd said he would not exhibit his art in a standard gallery fashion, the large canvases would be carried on foot through public spaces at each of the tour locations.
His work has enjoyed a mixed reception, including one of his controversial pieces, Portrait of an Exploding Terrorist, being removed from Footscray’s Trocadero Art Space on the insistence of Maribyrnong City Council.
Despite the reactions, Mr Rudd said it was important debate about art and politics occurred beyond the gallery scene to involve everyone and not just those informed about art.
The artist created the Carriers project in 2004, which followed his need to display his expressive paintings to a wider audience beyond the gallery scene.
Mr Rudd has carried his art through the 2004 and 2006 Melbourne Fringe Festivals, the 2006 Commonwealth Games, 2004 Melbourne Art Fair and 2007 Art Melbourne.
Most of the exhibitions are spontaneous but Mr Rudd said he considered them all to be official exhibitions even when authorities did not.
He has been moved on on various occasions by security officials during some of his carries exhibitions.
