Marcus Canning
Image source The Rechabite
Marcus Canning has pursued a varied individual and collaborative practice in the areas of sculpture, video art, theatre and festivals. In 2002 he designed the ‘Shishka-Car’ spectacle at the Adelaide Festival, and created the video work and inflatable set used in Buzz Dance Theatre’s ‘Cave’ production, which toured to Korea. In that year he curated the ‘Now You See It’ window installation exhibition in Midland and served as the Director of the Artrage Festival in Perth. Prior to this he was Creative Director of the Awesome Festival’s regional programme. Sculptural projects have included a pneumatic soft sculptural work, a balloon snake, which he created in collaboration with children in the remote community of Kalumburu in the Kimberley. Along with artist Sohan Hayes, Canning designed and constructed SymbioticA Central Laboratory 'PC2’, which was premiered at the 'Biofeel’ exhibition at the 2002 Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth (BEAP). In 2007 he collaborated with the Tissue, Culture and Art Project to design the vessel for the work 'No Ark’, which was shown at the 'Still, Living’ exhibition at the third Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth staged in that year.
Over the last decade, Marcus and friends created Perth's FRINGE WORLD Festival, Rooftop Movies, The Bakery music venue and purchased a Spiegeltent from Belgium which tours regional Western Australia. He’s one half of the artistic team that designed the enormous Ascalon sculpture out the front of St George’s Cathedral opposite Council House, a work listed in the Wallpaper City Guide to Perth as a WA iconic landmark. His playroom as a child was the first convict built structure in Fremantle and he lives in a heritage listed building in the heart of Perth. He has an obsessive interest in Perth's obscure and forgotten pockets of history which have informed his contributions and advocacy towards Perth's unique cultural qualities.
Visit: Design&ArtAustraliaOnline, CreativeMornings, theRechabite
