A Prevailing Sense of Disquiet

Description

Gary Deirmendjian is a compelling and original voice in the realm of contemporary art. His unusual mode of practice has produced an extensive body of work that is often described as beguiling, thought-provoking and socially concerned. Deirmendjian's work tends towards shared space, existing in public as poised suggestions in direct friction with daily life, often challenging audiences with their scale and immersive qualities. Deirmendjian is equally at ease with the physical brutality and tonnage of quarrying megaliths and impossibly arranging shipping containers, as he is working with the delicacy of yarn and ephemerality of social media. As diverse as his artistic output might be, it stems from a certain unity of intent - given rise by felt thought and realised through virtuosic touch. A Prevailing Sense of Disquiet is a visually rich and multi-voiced introduction to the work and practice of this restless and somewhat defiant creative spirit.

Gary Deirmendjian was born in 1967 in Soviet Armenia. His family migrated to Australia in 1979. He is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice encompasses sculpture, photography, video, installation and site-sensitive intervention. Working predominantly in public/shared space, Deirmendjian is broadly recognised as an original and dynamic voice in the realm of contemporary art. He creates thought-provoking and socially concerned works that challenge audiences with their scale and immersive qualities. He has exhibited extensively, and received numerous new work invitations and commissions for private and public artworks, as well as site-specific projects realised broadly across Australia and internationally. Deirmendjian holds a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture from the National Art School (2006), Sydney, where he has taught as a Sessional Lecturer since 2012. He is also the author and photographer of Sydney Sandstone (Craftsman House, 2002). Before turning to full-time artistic practice, Deirmendjian trained as an aeronautical engineer (Honours, University of NSW, 1990). He was significantly active in research and development, before turning to industrial design through private practice and teaching. He was a lecturer at the Western Sydney University from 1996 to 2001.