4 February–11 March, 2000

Damian Moppett's large new photographic works arise from his interest in photographing temporary sculptural constructions. These new color works depict domestically set constructions involving a loose narrative surrounding the life and space of the artist. Evolving from Moppett's previous work, such as the Untitled (Office Photo) series from 1996–97, the new work shares a concern for disposable constructions made from materials at hand.

In his earlier work the artist photographed sculptural constructions which combined the ready-made forms of staplers, cigarette butts, and crumpled paper with the artist-made forms of grey clay displayed on a ground of corporate carpet. The new work, Impure Systems, yields a sense of domestic interior and the constructions situated on a kitchen table are again made from everyday items which range from discarded cigarettes and Fuji film packaging to beer bottles, lighters and make-up. Interior details and allusions to the human figure such as parts of a woman's arm or a cigarette being smoked mark a departure in Moppett's photographic work.

Like the Office Photos, the constructions arise out of a certain boredom, a combining of elements found everyday into props or sets around which Moppett stages his almost filmic photographs. The show carries layers of details and repercussions that extend from art historical references to the identity of a generation coming of age, to the staging of the film industry, setting up a dialogue between the three.