Exhibition / “Climacteric”, Alex Asch. At Beaver Galleries, Deakin, until February 25. Reviewed by BARRINA SOUTH.

ALEX Asch’s show “Climacteric” reflects his strong social conscience on political, environmental, religious and social issues.

Asch has assembled a series of 26 artworks that explores the constructed landscape using recycled materials, primarily metal and form ply.

The “found” materials were collected on a recent trip to far west NSW, visiting Broken Hill, Cobar and Silverton. I am very much drawn to these materials. They bear the scars, residue and corrosion marks weathered by the environment and or machine, not unlike to the formation of the landscapes depicted.

There is a sculptural form to each of the artworks, and the viewer can appreciate the artist’s careful consideration of selecting the precise piece of refuse material for each layer to achieve the desired composition.

There is a quietness, a stillness to the artworks which allows the gallery visitor to contemplate the impact of climate change upon the natural world, an underlying theme in Asch work for many years. Asch also invites us to consider the process of extracting the iron ore to create the sheet metal, which is left as debris in the environment and in turn is repurposed to create art. This is to instil a sense of responsibility we all need to share when it comes to environmental issues.

As I walked around the gallery, there were only one or two pieces that made me feel something, a connection to the landscapes. The artwork, “Storm Front”, is one such artwork. The composition of materials creates an impression of storm clouds rolling in and I could imagine myself watching a storm front forming, the smell of the rain and sound of the large raindrops hitting the scorched earth.

Overall, I was left wanting more and wondered, if maybe a different approach to the subject matter, one which invites the gallery visitor to connect with the landscapes, might assist in Asch’s strive to influencing change.