Benalla Art Gallery and Arts Project Australia are proudly presenting Self in the Spotlight — a spring Gallery Shop exhibition by Danny Lyons.
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Mr Lyons, born in 1985 in Melbourne, is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans drawing, photography and video.
Finding inspiration in his heroes, Lyons reimagines himself as iconic figures in pop culture, creating playful fan art derived from content featuring Silverchair, KISS, Rambo, Joan Jett, Gremlins, E.T., the Essendon Bombers and AC/DC, among others.
Community members will have the opportunity to learn more about Mr Lyons and his artistic practice at 10am on Monday, October 7, as part of Benalla Art Gallery’s First Mondays series, where he will be in conversation with staff from Arts Project Australia.
Arts Project Australia is a gallery and studio that represents and supports artists with intellectual disabilities, promotes their work and advocates for their inclusion in contemporary art practice.
For 50 years, it has been recognised and celebrated for the quality of the work produced by the artists in its studio, which is exhibited in the APA gallery, and around the world as well as being represented in multiple public and private collections.
The first full-time art studio in Australia for artists with an intellectual disability, APA has worked to develop a world-class creative program, enabling professional and lasting careers in the arts.
Mr Lyons has been supported as an artist by Arts Project Australia studio since 2017.
He has since exhibited widely and held solo screenings and discussions on his celebrated video work.
Benalla Art Gallery director Eric Nash said the exhibition was a wonderful opportunity to continue the gallery’s partnership with the country’s leading organisation supporting artists with intellectual disabilities.
“Danny Lyons’ works are uplifting and humorous,” Mr Nash said.
“He places himself in a variety of iconic scenes, including in the role of AFL coach seated next to Joe Daniher during a post-game press conference — an image that creates an intriguing link to our current photographic exhibition Beyond the Boundary by the AFL’s chief photographer, Michael Willson.”
All works in the Gallery Shop are available for purchase from Benalla Art Gallery, or by calling 5760 2619 or emailing gallery@benalla.vic.gov.au