REVIEW: Signs of Life- Adnate

Writing is the signs and symbols of language. That is no small feat. Just the simple act of writing is a huge feather in our evolutionary cap. Fatboy Slim knows this and retells our journey of adaptation in his music video-clip for the single 'Right here, Right now' on the album 'You've come a long way, Baby'.

We have come a long way, Baby: as a specsies we've flourished into a multitude of cultures with rich and varied histories. We write, we create, we are actively engaged in recording evidence of our existence everyday. We want to leave our mark, that we were here: 'right here, right now'.

'Signs of Life' is Matt Adnate's solo exhibition at the No Vancancy Gallery Project Space in Federation Squares Atrium. Adnate works are a simple visual proposition, each work is a portrait combined with text, his execution and the concept behind this duality of images give the works strength. It is a consolidation of highly skilled realistic work, fluid graffiti tags and an almost spiritual connection between the two.

Adnate's work features only the subjects faces, all of which are from differing ethnicities and have strong physical traits: a tribute to humanities diversity. Within this context, the layered and stylised graffiti script that forms the background for each portrait, assumes qualities akin to other languages, it becomes anonymous and inclusive, joining all peoples in their existential desire to create proof that they exist long after they've left this world.

These works show off Adnate's deft hand and mastery of a variety of artistic styles and his astute eye for composition.

Creativity is a 'sign of life'.