Patrick Dagg’s work asks “if something presents itself as art, is it so?” His work has a long-standing interest in the tangible relationships between art and society. While completing a Master of Contemporary art at the VCA Dagg worked at an auction house, handling valuable objects from all over the world. The irony of being a broke art student while doing this work was not lost on Dagg and in his work began an exploration of class, culture, value and the art object. Although his practice is more readily defined as painting and sculpture, Dagg views his work as collage. Collage is an important concept in Dagg’s exploration of class and art hierarchies. Mixing high and low materials – paper, glue, ceramics, neon, bronze, gold gilding, paint and glaze – his works put the ‘components’ of art into stark relief. He makes it obvious that what makes a work valuable is a smoke and mirrors game of materials and their historical associations. Playing with materiality, his work has an implicit humour and playfulness, often taking a dig at the gender hierarchies attached to art.
Patrick Dagg’s work asks “if something presents itself as art, is it so?” His work has a long-standing interest in the tangible relationships between art and society. While completing a Master of Contemporary art at the VCA Dagg worked at an auction house, handling valuable objects from all over the world. The irony of being a broke art student while doing this work was not lost on Dagg and in his work began an exploration of class, culture, value and the art object. Although his practice is more readily defined as painting and sculpture, Dagg views his work as collage. Collage is an important concept in Dagg’s exploration of class and art hierarchies. Mixing high and low materials – paper, glue, ceramics, neon, bronze, gold gilding, paint and glaze – his works put the ‘components’ of art into stark relief. He makes it obvious that what makes a work valuable is a smoke and mirrors game of materials and their historical associations. Playing with materiality, his work has an implicit humour and playfulness, often taking a dig at the gender hierarchies attached to art.
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2020 mongrel, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2019 drip, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2018 ditch, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2017 An Introduction, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2016 Daggy Designs Launch, Seventh Gallery, Melbourne
2012 Don’t Let Your Youth Go To Waste, Artsite Gallery, Sydney
2012 Crash Paintings, Damien Minton Gallery, Sydney
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020 Sydney Contemporary 2020, James Makin Gallery, online.
2019 Sydney Contemporary, James Makin Gallery, Booth G11, Sydney
2019 Group Show, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2019 Footscray Art Prize 2019 (finalist), Footscray Arts Centre, Melbourne
2019 Art of Dining: Best of the Best 2019, Flack Studios, NGV, Melbourne
2019 Rigg Design Prize 2019, Flack Studios, NGV, Melbourne
2018 Summer New, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2018 Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize 2018 (finalist), The Gallery at Bayside Arts and Cultural Centre, Melbourne
2017 Jim’s Fine Art, Lon Gallery, Collingwood, Melbourne
2016 Render 2016, Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne
2014 Masters Exhibition 2014, VCA, Melbourne
2014 Windsor Art Prize, Windsor Hotel, Melbourne
2013 Proud 2013, Margaret Lawrence Gallery, Melbourne
AWARDS/GRANTS/PRIZES
2019 Finalist: Footscray Art Prize 2019, Footscray Arts Centre, Melbourne
2019 Rigg Design Prize 2019, Flack Studios, NGV, Melbourne
2018 Finalist: Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize 2018, The Gallery at Bayside
Arts and
2018 Cultural Centre,Melbourne
2014 Douglas Gordon Fellowship
2014 VCA Creative Scholarship
2013 Jim Marks Postgraduate Scholarship
2013 Proud Awards: Winner of MEAA/NTEU Acquisitive Prize
Opening Hours
Thursday–Sunday
12pm–5pm
or by appointment
James Makin Gallery recognises the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation as the sovereign custodians of the land on which we operate. We pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging.