Amaze (1982/2002)

A sculpture “made of paint” or a “walk-through painting”

1982/2002

3 metres (height) x 56 metres (length) (in 3 sections)

Resin & pigments, musical soundtrack

Approximately 1 tonne of pure paint forms several thick nets which hang from wires attached to the ceiling without any other structural support. Depending on the type and amount of pigment the paint can appear opaque or transparent. A musical soundtrack composed and played by Asher Bilu, Duncan McGuire and Peter Jones creates organic sounds in an intricate drone effect.

Amaze was painted in 1982 to celebrate the opening of United Artists Galley which was the co-operative venture started by artists which included Mike Brown, Asher Bilu, Ivan Durrant, Dale Hickey and Martin Sharp. It symbolised the aims of the new gallery which was to provide an art experience that reached viewers across the whole range from the art uneducated to the cognoscenti and to demonstrate that “art” and “the public” were not mutually exclusive. Lighting by Bill Walker.

Amaze was also exhibited at The Riddoch Gallery Mount Gambier South Australia, Coventry Gallery Sydney, and the Armidale Regional Gallery NSW.

In 2002, Asher Bilu reworked the piece, and added a new section 3 metres x 10 metres in size.

Amaze was installed in Adelaide for the filming of the Paul Cox film Human Touch in 2004.