QUT | Art Museum

Marian Drew:'Possum with five birds' From the Australiana series (2003) archival pigment ink jet printed onto cotton paper, 72 x 90cm. Courtesy of the artist.

Pamela Mei-Leng See: Detail of 'Cane toad dreaming' (2005) paper, dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist.

Tiffany Shafran: 'Two in the hand/Fly away birdie' (2004) gouache, graphite on fabriano paper, 56.5 x 76cm. Courtesy of the artist.

Maria Fernanda Cardoso: 'Butterfly drawing' (2004) synthetic polymer paint, archival butterflies, perspex, metal, 122 x 122cm. Winner, 2004 Conrad Jupiters Art Prize, Gold Coast City Art Gallery Collection.

Michael Zavros: 'Happy, He' (2005) oil on board, 15 x 18.5cm. Courtesy of the artist and Mori Gallery Sydney.

Animals as Allegory considers how artists employ animals and animal motifs within their work as symbols for larger concerns.

Drawing on QUT Art Collection and the work of contemporary Australian artists, this exhibition explores the current trend of artists incorporating and transforming historical ideas about nature and the natural world into artworks with a distinctly contemporary edge.

Throughout history artists have depicted animals to convey a variety of meanings. For example, 16th Century Dutch still life utilised animals as metaphors for themes including abundance, greed and mortality. Animals as Allegory is based on these traditions and presents a survey of contemporary approaches to the animal kingdom, ranging from works influenced by Dutch still lifes through to artists who investigate folklore and moral tales.

The exhibition features a range of mediums including photography, painting, prints, sculpture and taxidermy.

Artists include: Marian Drew, Maria Fernanda Cardoso, Joachim Froese, Sharon Green, Lucy Griggs, Steven Holland, Graeme Peebles, William Robinson, Tiffany Shafran, Pamela Mei-Leng See, Louise Weaver and Michael Zavros.

Curated by Simone Jones

More information on artists:

Marian Drew: