Makeshift Revolutions

Solo exhibition, Nellie Castan Gallery, Melbourne, 2012

Presented at Nellie Castan Gallery in Melbourne, Makeshift Revolutions opened with two large-scale works hung on opposite walls. Between them, a group of smaller drawings formed a loose visual bridge. The exhibition brings together elements from two distinct periods of the artist’s life: her time studying and living in Florence, and her childhood in Poland during a period of transition when the culture of reuse emerged from necessity.

The two main panels, Perspective Study 1 and Perspective Study 2, present contrasting scenes. Perspective Study 1, constructed using one-point perspective and based on Leonardo da Vinci’s preparatory drawing for The Adoration of the Magi, depicts a moment of conflict—figures appear to compete for position or power around something the viewer cannot fully grasp. Perspective Study 2, painted in cinabrese pink drawn from Fra Angelico’s palette, follows a quieter, more contemplative logic. Here, people and animals coexist without hierarchy, suggesting a different kind of order.

Both works are painted on flattened cardboard shipping boxes, coated with gesso, similar to a fresco ground. These reused surfaces challenge traditional ideas of permanence and value, reflecting an ethic shaped by Mytych’s early experiences—where nothing was discarded if it could be used again.

Alongside the two main works, a series of smaller drawings and paintings serve as a kind of predella. Some include allegorical figures or reimagined symbols such as Justice and Heroism, approached with subtle irony or care. These works expand the conversation, allowing meaning to shift and build across the group.

The project gently challenges fixed ideas—not only about how we perceive but also about what we value.