Against the Grain

Against the Grain spanned over 40 years of Burns’ creative life and included three hundred and fifty A3 images that recorded previous works that used interactivity, surveillance, performance, film, TV, and video. Screening alongside the static images were three films made in super-8 and 16mm format; Against the Grain, Why Cars? CAARnage! and Luke’s Party.

A confronting figure in the history of Australian underground art, Tim Burns gained attention in the early 1970s with a series of literally explosive art actions before moving to New York. He worked in the film and theatre industry until the mid 1990s and then resides on a rural property in York, Western Australia.

Tackling the controversial topics within society, Against the Grain evidenced that Burns was ahead of his time. The arrest of his work A Change of Plan at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 1973 became a platform for artists rights in public galleries. His successful postcard campaign in Mildura to have cross-walks installed won awards in America as did his feature film Why Cars? CARnage!. Burns’ use of film as an art medium pre-dated the popularity of video art movements in both America and Australia.

Burns identifies himself as a “context artist”, setting up situations that critically reflect on the hyper-mediated, industrialised western society. His interventions created live in the public sphere resulted in a dramatic surprise or shift of attitude in the audience.