Christopher Zanko, DS1 (Bellambi Red Brick And Awnings) 2023. Acrylic on hand carved wood, 145 x 122 cm. 

CHRISTOPHER ZANKO | DOWNSHIFTER

JOIN US ON FRIDAY 21 APRIL, 6 - 8PM, FOR THE OPENING OF DOWNSHIFTER BY CHRISTOPHER ZANKO.

Based on an unwritten cultural narrative, Christopher Zanko’s latest exhibition Downshifter captures both the similitude and distinctive character of suburban landscapes, particularly within the Greater Illawarra. Referencing both larger cultural histories of the region and everyday Australian experiences, Downshifter presents spatially nuanced explorations of post-war suburban vernacular, with reference to more recent patterns of urban migration. The show includes 15 works and maintains Zanko’s signature emphasis on the stylistic elements of mid-century Australian domesticity, this time with an elevated sense of sentimental permanency. 

Inverting familiar tropes of the suburban landscape as peripheral and derivative, Zanko skilfully comments on the naivety of viewing cities as bastions for creativity and individuality. Suburban landscapes are witnessing a cultural renaissance; recent patterns of migration have triggered a literal ‘downshift’ of people from cities to regional areas, and pandemic-related lockdowns also inspired downshifts in both lifestyle and routine. Zanko’s acute awareness of how this suburban sprawl and subsequent gentrification affects the cultural heritage of the Illawarra has created an urgency for its preservation. Tensions surrounding what constitutes as heritage and what deserves protection mean that many of the subjects featured in Zanko’s artworks will be preserved only through his woodblock carvings. 

There exists an inherent irony in Zanko’s oeuvre – his process is technically demanding, laborious and requires precision, but the subjects featured in his artworks are often produced in abundance. This polarity helps Zanko elevate the status of his subjects; although there exists opportunity to create infinite copies of each artwork, Zanko makes the conscious decision to keep his output to a minimum, highlighting each piece’s individuality. 

Downshifter is underpinned by a deeper personal narrative; Zanko expresses a fondness for simpler times in his adolescence, articulated through both subject matter and composition. There is a softness to the works, aesthetic and conceptual, that implies a sense of tender longing. Shadows play an important compositional role; the image, obscured, invites viewers in for interpretation. The artworks are not intended to be portraits of specific sites, but rather layered representations of cultural history. 

Zanko describes his recent solo exhibition in Tokyo as a formative experience in his career which empowered his identity as an artist and solidified his process. A mysterious sense of ritual is found throughout Downshifter, influenced by both personal and philosophical connections to Japan. There is a pleasure in the process; carvings are rhythmic and precise, triggering a downshift in both the artist and his audience to a meditative state.  

- Molly Lasker

21/04/2023 - 13/05/2023

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