Melbourne-based, New Zealand born artist Kerry Lennon started the ‘365 Days of the Shit People Say’ project in September 2012, to help her move on from the loss of her Dad in March that same year.
It was a self-directed pursuit, and a deeply personal journey that saw Lennon complete one drawing each day for a whole year using a black 4.0 Artline pen. She wanted to discover her drawing style and fine tune her quirky left-handed lettering style. On a deeper level the daily practise of delivering a finished drawing anchored her through a tough time, in the depths of grief, becoming something quite cathartic. This sense of sadness was mixed with some of the best times, capturing hilarious sound bites from friends and peers, and turning them into artworks. She explains,
‘It’s turned out to be a kind of observational visual diary, and two years on it has already shown me changes in social language, humour, and in jokes quite specific to the time and places I observed them.’
The 365 Days of the Shit People Say project is on show in its entirety for the first time at The Wetlands in Brunswick until Saturday 13 August.
When I ask Lennon what it’s like to stand in the middle of an intense year’s worth of work, she says,
‘It feels powerful. I’m proud to see my creativity in one place and on show to the public – it took me a long time to step up to the plate and put it out there. It’s been great to come full circle and share what I have overheard with the people who said it, to friends and even strangers – and I have loved watching their reactions to it.’
‘I especially love the way it has become an installation too, I hadn’t thought of the project like that until it was all in place. By hanging the drawings in interlaced rows it’s helped me to let go of any hierarchy and drawing order – you can keep discovering drawings by literally ducking and diving through them all’.
From the funny to the obscene, good old-fashioned Australian larrikinism, to the more conceptual, this project showcases a great slice of the shit people really did say during that unforgettable year of Lennon’s life.
Perhaps she overheard you?
Need to know:
- The Wetlands 623 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
- Exhibition Hours: Tues 12 noon to 5pm, Wed 12 to 4pm and *6pm to 8pm, Thurs *11am to 6pm, Friday *2pm to 7.30pm, Saturday *12pm to 4pm (closes). *Artist present
Shop Shop:
- A selection of acrylic paint/digital colour giclee fine art prints are available.
- All originals artworks in the exhibition are for sale.
- Visit Kerry Lennon’s Threadless Store here
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