‘Greetings From…’ is an exhibition hosted by Work-Shop Brisbane showcasing small artworks from over 30 local artists inspired by the great Aussie postcard.
One such artist is Graphic Designer Joel Matheson. Scribbling away on his postcard, he wrote an Open Letter that got lost in the mail and ended up in our hands:
Joel is a graphic designer and illustrator presently based in Brisbane. He becomes easily disgruntled with the idea of talking in third person. So, I aim to write as FPS as humanly possible... Or I might just be a nexus-6 unit attempting to embed itself within the social fabric. Either way, Facebook is releasing an empathy button – so we cool.
That may have made no sense to one that is unfamiliar with science-fiction or the author Philip K. Dick, but something that couldn’t make more sense is the conceptual backbone and excitement that will propel ‘Greetings From…’ into orbit on Saturday 3rd of October at Work-Shop in Brisbane. This is an exhibition that will explore and redefine the limitations affiliated with ‘the postcard’, whilst amplifying aspects of the Australian vernacular. I was immediately drawn to the idea. There is something intrinsically valuable about a post card.
You’re not likely to receive one anymore, but souvenir shops used to be riddled with them. They acted as a kind gesture and documentation of place. The most pleasant recollections I have of the postcard is thumbing through the spin-racks in shops, absorbing the heavy drop shadows and over-saturated imagery. Greetings From... in this sense, distanced from the consistently unsightly visuals, is a way of saying ‘hello, we out here, look at all the things I have been up to, what I have been exposed to... I’ve seen some things, man’. At least this being my interpretation.
You’re not likely to receive one anymore, but souvenir shops used to be riddled with them. They acted as a kind gesture and documentation of place. The most pleasant recollections I have of the postcard is thumbing through the spin-racks in shops, absorbing the heavy drop shadows and over-saturated imagery. Greetings From... in this sense, distanced from the consistently unsightly visuals, is a way of saying ‘hello, we out here, look at all the things I have been up to, what I have been exposed to... I’ve seen some things, man’. At least this being my interpretation.
I like the idea of the show being a collective effort. Very much the whole body of work, generated by the various artists involved, is more potent than the individual components. Like geo tags on the map, it will hopefully project a traceable line that contributes, as would a short essay, to the larger Australian narrative. A mapping exercise if you will. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I hope my work is less of a stand alone piece, and more a contribution to the overall outcome. Like the spin-racks, there needs to be multiple postcards to attract your attention.
If I were to deconstruct my work for the show, it would be a satirical overview of things and events, news stories and instances that have effectively nipped and tucked the Australian identity... From pub brawls to drop bears and an acquired taste for Vegemite; it all seems perfectly natural to me.
– Joel Matheson
If I were to deconstruct my work for the show, it would be a satirical overview of things and events, news stories and instances that have effectively nipped and tucked the Australian identity... From pub brawls to drop bears and an acquired taste for Vegemite; it all seems perfectly natural to me.
– Joel Matheson
The opening night of 'Greetings From...' will be held at 29 Merivale St, Work-Shop Brisbane 3 October, the exhibition will run until 24 October. 
