Sean Bailey makes paintings that are instinctive and process-based. Although predominantly abstract, they concern the tension between individual agency, autonomy and determinism through a process of adding and subtracting layers of paint to found images to simultaneously obscure and form meaning. Sean employs ‘direct’ mediums such as collage and other lo-fi techniques to explore ideas of painting as an expression of agency, as well as analysing processes of transformation, renewal, decay and transcendence.
Sean has had solo exhibitions at galleries including: RM, Auckland; First Draft, Sydney; and in Melbourne at Neon Parc, West Space, T.C.B., Joint Hassles and Clubs Project Space. He has participated in group exhibitions at Gambia Castle, Auckland; Special, Auckland; Amsterdam Biennial; CAST, Hobart; and in many Melbourne spaces including: Sutton Project Space, Hell Gallery, Bus Gallery, Utopian Slumps, T.C.B. and Seventh. Last year Sean exhibited in Catching Trucks at Gertrude Contemporary and New Psychedelia at University of Queensland Art Museum. As a musician Sean is known for playing in groups including Paeces, Wasted Truth, Vivian Girls, Lakes and TAX as well as running the private press label Inverted Crux. He has a BFA (2005) from the Victorian College of Arts and is a 2013 Studio Artist at Gertrude Contemporary.
They Lie We Die
paper, card board. found mallets
dimensions variable
Pagan Grind
found bongos, das, acrylic paint
dimensions variable
CAST Gallery installation view
Black Flowers
acrylic paint and collage on cardboard
30 x 20 cm
Crossed Out
acrylic paint and collage on cardboard
30 x 20 cm
Haunted Universe
acrylic paint, plastic and collage on chipboard
31.5 x 21.5 cm
Hidden in the Leaves
acrylic paint and collage on plywood
31 x 22 cm
Walking Like a Shadow
acrylic paint and collage on cardboard
31 x 22 cm
Union of Opposites - installation view
Photograph: Craig Burgess
Union of Opposites - installation view
Photograph: Craig Burgess
Union of Opposites - installation view
Photograph: Craig Burgess
Blood of the Grove
acrylic polymer paint and collage on board
31 x 26 cm
Photograph: Craig Burgess
Chain
acrylic polymer paint and collage on board
34 x 36 cm
Photograph: Craig Burgess
Cold Green
acrylic polymer paint and collage on board
29 x 29 cm
Photograph: Craig Burgess
Ex
acrylic polymer paint and collage on board
29.5 x 26.5 cm
Photograph: Craig Burgess
Hidden Human
acrylic polymer paint and collage on board
34 x 26 cm
Photograph: Craig Burgess
Soma Bath
acrylic polymer paint and collage on board
36 x 36 cm
Photograph: Craig Burgess
Installation view
installation view
Photograph: Clare Rae
Corner Painting
synthetic polymer paint and collage on glass
51 x 41 cm
Photograph: Jake Walker
Solar Praxis
synthetic polymer paint and collage on ply board
50 x 45 cm
Photograph: Clare Rae
Heads of Rome
synthetic polymer paint and collage on linen board
51 x 40.5 cm
Photograph: Jake Walker
Doorway II
synthetic polymer paint and collage on ply board
90 x 60 cm
Photograph: Clare Rae
Grey Head
synthetic polymer paint and collage on ply board
50 x 45 cm
Photograph: Clare Rae
Tree
synthetic polymer paint and collage on ply board
60 x 55 cm
Throne
synthetic polymer paint and collage on linen board
51 x 40.5 cm
Photograph: Clare Rae
Blooming Faces
synthetic polymer paint and collage on composite board
90 x 60 cm
Photograph: Clare Rae
Sean Bailey (born 1977 Adelaide, lives Melbourne)
Education
2001 Diploma of Visual Arts, Centre for Adult Education, Melbourne
2005 Bachelor of Fine Art, Painting, Victorian College of the Arts
Solo Exhibitions
2013 Order and Decay, Daine Singer, Melbourne >>
2011 Union of Opposites, Daine Singer, Melbourne >>
2011 Terrestrial Asylum, RM, Auckland, New Zealand
2010 Sean Bailey/Jess Lucas, Neon Parc, Melbourne
2009 Transcendental Axis, T.C.B, Melbourne
2008 Free Your Mind and Your Arse Will Follow, w/Alex Vivian, Joint Hassles project space, Melbourne Art Fair, Melbourne Exhibition Building
2007 Pagan Grind 2, First Draft, Sydney
2007 Pagan Grind, Joint Hassles, Melbourne
2006 Beard of Bees, Joint Hassles, Melbourne
2006 Astral Village, West Space, Melbourne
2005 Cavern Magnetism, T.C.B, Melbourne
2005 Transformational Surface, Clubs Project Space, Melbourne
Group Exhibitions
2011 Catching Trucks, Gertrude Contemporary, Melbourne
2011 New Psychedelia, Queensland University Art Museum, Brisbane
2011 Zero Dollar, West wing, Melbourne
2010 Texticles, TCB project space, Melbourne Art Fair, Melbourne
2010 Cluster and Connect, Sutton Project Space, Melbourne
2010 Dream Weavers, Contemporary Art Spaces of Tasmania, Hobart
2010 Territorial Pissings, Utopian Slumps, Melbourne
2009 Melbourne Pavilion, Amsterdam Biennale, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2009 Cross Coloring, Gambia Castle, New Zealand
2009 Cross Coloring, Hell Gallery, Melbourne
2009 Texticles, T.C.B, Melbourne
2009 Skin and Bones, Bus Gallery, Melbourne
2008 The (self initiated, self funded) second (fourth) Y2K Melbourne Biennial of Art (and design), T.C.B, Melbourne
2008 One Hundred Sound Works by One Hundred Artists from the 21st Century, 21:100:100, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, Melbourne
2008 Informal Rituals, T.C.B, Melbourne
2007 Taking Care of Business, T.C.B, Melbourne
2006 Joint Hassles First Show, Joint Hassles, Melbourne
2006 Mike, Bad House, Melbourne
2005 Cavern Reprise, Slide Window, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, Melbourne
2005 Friends, Special Gallery, Auckland, NZ
2005 Friends, Seventh, Melbourne
2005 Mike, Dude Space, Melbourne
2004 Fort, Next Wave Festival, Melbourne
