David Porteus' Pretty Ugly Butterfly exhibition opens in Sydney

Everything is perfect, but something is wrong in David Porteus' new exhibition opening at Sydney's Stanley Street Gallery this week.

Pretty Ugly Butterfly is a photographic series of mirror portraits of half faces and figures, made symmetrical, from multi-media artist David Porteus. The result is surreal beauty, ghost portraits from a new world where the imperfect is made perfect and true nature is negated. The character of these unnatural people is represented in an echo of an early painted portrait or early 20th Century static studio photography.

The beauty myth of symmetry is both celebrated and disputed, in a world of elaborate backdrops, costume and antique convex glass frames.

Inspired by research that reveals people with symmetrical faces: have higher IQ scores; do better on memory tests; are perceived as more attractive and intelligent; and are more likely to be the target of extra-marital affairs. This exhibition suggests a more sinister side to perfection where people can look more like wallpaper and just as thin.

About David Porteus

This is the fourth solo exhibition for David Porteus. He was selected for the Head On Photographic Prize (Sydney 2015) and twice for the Iris Portrait Award (Perth). In 2015 two of his works were exhibited at La Cité Internationale des Arts (Paris) and then toured the world as part of the COP21 United Nations Conference on Climate Change. David has previously been a featured music composer on ABC Radio National and is a post- graduate of visual arts at VCA Melbourne.

Exhibition details 

Pretty Ugly Butterfly 2 - 19 May 2018, Opening Friday 11th @ 6pm.

More at Stanley Street Gallery.