Arnie Arnold is an Australian Artist who works out of his creative space and studio in Paddington, Sydney. He boasts a prolific and diverse practice that blurs the lines between commercialism and art.
‘I paint, collage, and make sculpture from found objects, to making chandeliers out of sneakers for Dunlop. Customized surfboard for Insight and women’s heels for Melissa Brazil.’
A certain graphic and distinctive style flows between Arnold’s diverse work, influenced by popular culture and the seductive power of commercial imagery. In his Paintings he attempts to reflect the complexity and contradictions of contemporary society by depicting the inanity, ugliness and occasional beauty found in the urban environment.
The use of bold colours and shapes in Arnie Arnold’s work, has originated from a traditional background as a professional sign writer. The influence of his commercial work crossing into his artistic practice, allows the use of the tools of mass culture and commodification to critique contemporary society.
A fascination with memory and notions of childhood innocence filtered through an adult sensibility are devices that enable Arnold’s work to represent consumerism, desire and reconstruct the imaginary world of the consumer. The use of candy store colours to depict sometimes ‘in your face’ subject matter has a disquieting affect on the viewer. The use of familiar images of the everyday and bold colour provides immediate access to the viewer but it soon becomes apparent that there is a darker message.
‘Pop culture irony lies beneath the surface of my work. Images and objects are rearranged, a mix of found consumer cast off’s create boundless fanciful realities that bleed together within my paintings, collages and objects leaving the viewer to contemplate the meaning.’
Arnold acknowledges an influence by the hyped and profane style of the Young British Art movement and Japanese Neo-Pop movement, while attempting to be pointedly anchored in Australia, and working to find a way for contemporary Australian art.
This Artist commitment to Australian contemporary art is exemplified by his former involvement as co-director of Sydney’s blank_space Gallery, an artist run space based in the inner-city suburb of Surry Hills. blank_space has an established history of representing emerging artists and actively promoting innovation within the arts.