Mark Webb’s practice explored the pedagogical and critical value of play across a wide range of mediums. In his work of the 1980s, his paintings explored combinatory play with found images in ways that aligned with postmodern appropriation. Later works maintained a relationship to painting, while also extending this approach into text, installation, video and performance. Throughout his practice, his works employed strategies of humour, parody and satire to reimagine the relationship between art and politics. Most recently, these investigations explored a fictocritical approach to making and exhibiting, which involved the use of several pseudonyms, including Eve Roleston, Ernesto Love, and Ernest Olove. In 2010 Pestorius Projects, Brisbane, presented an exhibition surveying 25 years of practice.
Webb studied at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 1980, before completing a Diploma of Art at the Queensland College of Art in 1984 and a Master of Arts (Research) at Queensland University of Technology in 1996. In 1985 he was an artist-in-residence at the Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane, where he also presented his first solo exhibition. Webb was a participant of the 1980’s Qld ARIs sector and was included in “The Demolition Show” held at The Observatory Gallery, Brisbane from March 10-March 31, 1986. In 1986 he also was a Director of two ARIs, This Space and Type Space.
In 1988 he began teaching at the Queensland College of Art, where he redesigned the Intermedia Program in ways modelled on Black Mountain College and CALARTS. In 1991 he began teaching at QUT, where he continued to develop his post-medium pedagogical approach. This became an integral part of QUT’s pioneering Open Studio Program, which was established in 1999. Webb taught at QUT until 2016. In addition to teaching a generation of Brisbane’s contemporary artists, Webb also mentored a generation of artist-run initiatives, including The Farm, Boxcopy, No Frills ARI, inbetweenspaces, Accidentally Annie Street, Current Projects and Fake Estate.
His works are featured in the collections of the Queensland Art Gallery, Australian National Gallery, Canberra, the National Gallery of Victoria, and the Art Gallery of Western Australia along with Artbank, University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, and Griffith University.
- Writers:
-
Chris Handran
- Date written:
- 2022
- Last updated:
- 2022
