Adrian Corke

Note to Self

August 9th – 26th, 2023

Note to Self invites participants into a world defined by COVID. In Melbourne we had the highest number of days of lockdown; our spaces and places were constrained to our homes, and a five km radius. Our perceptions of our world at that time were framed by computer screens, chopped, and cropped views of our family, friends, and workplaces. Everyone and everything were contained within the confines of a virtual, or physical space.

What we noticed and remember of this time are fragments – a vignette of colours and textures, and the impact of being constrained. We felt at times claustrophobia and disconnection; tension between what we desired and what we could have.

We focused inwards, considering what has value and meaning in our lives and the importance of taking time to reflect, observe, and share. We also noticed things for the first time.

This exhibition invites you into my world during this time. My head became an antennae or net receiving material; referencing music, reading, memory, conversation. It was a time of immense artistic productivity and celebration. These collected fragments were arranged on paper as a record, a ‘note to self’ for future reference. As you enter, I encourage you to consider your own fragments of memory and your response to being in that world. What is your ‘note to self’?

Adrian Corke, 2023