Love and capitalism are explored in a new exhibition at Platform Gallery in Katoomba.
Acclaimed artist, author and filmmaker Emma Magenta will open her latest exhibition, Love in the Time of Capitalism, at the gallery on Friday, April 5.
This collection of works and writing deals with the struggles and victories of the heart in an era where human misery is exploited for profit.
Magenta came to prominence while working at a bookshop in Sydney, where she would write her thoughts down on brown paper bags and pin them to the front window. They quickly accrued a cult status, and Magenta was offered her first publishing deal.
Since then, she has written and illustrated adult and children's picture books which explore aspects of the feminine psyche and the secret life of relationships.
She continues to examine these themes, both in her short film and animated series for the ABC, and through her artwork.
"I am interested in the fracturing of the human psyche, such as with our masculine and feminine selves, and how this translates into the selling of idealistic romance to trap the human heart into a cycle of disillusionment," she said.
Platform Gallery curator, Kelly Heylen, said: "I am excited and honoured to have work of this calibre... It's important to tell these stories - women's stories.
"So many women feel trapped, socially and economically, by their domestic realities, but Emma has captured the rich inner worlds of these women in her powerful artworks and writings."
Love in the Time of Capitalism features much of the writings, artworks and investigations Magenta created for her ABC-funded film, Remembering Agatha. The film will screen throughout the exhibition, alongside the artworks, which have largely been created on up-cycled materials such as beer boxes, shopping bags and government penalty notices.
All are welcome at the gallery as Magenta's profound and beautiful writings, artworks and film are presented for the first time in the Blue Mountains. The exhibition opening is on Friday, April 5, at 5.30pm, and the exhibition runs until April 22. Platform Gallery is at 194 Katoomba Street, Katoomba.
