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By: Laura McIntosh
Date: 7th Nov 07
Medium: Mixed
Drink: Long neck in a paper bag
What:
Ikko Banquet
Where:
Don't Come Gallery, Lvl 2, Shop 29, Royal Arcade, 314 Lt Collins St, Melbourne
When:
Opens Fri Nov 9, 6-8pm
Exhibition runs until Dec 2
How much:
free
Contact:
9639 1113
Dragons. Gargoyles. Fiery breath*. Huge inflatable men. Yok is in town. Yok, who started in the graffiti scene and has exhibited in Tokyo, New York, Berlin, Hong Kong and Taipei, currently works from a home studio in Melbourne. His latest work hits our humble city for a brief run at Don't Come this month.
Ikko Banquet is set to show a change in the traditional Yok style. Droopy eyes, distinct lack of mouth. Yes, there may be huge inflatable men, but the work itself is more reflective and abstract. Experimenting with a representational style while using familiar elements of his past work, Yok attempts to portray the mixed up thoughts of his characters. Today most of his energy is devoted to canvas and silk-screen, using fragments of larger works and taking his heavy-lidded characters into translucent form; their thoughts on display to the world.
*The artist does seem to have a profound love of gargoyles and the like; in no way are we suggesting that he munches on jalapenos at openings or some such.