STEVEN SHEARER HAS BEEN MAKING WORK SINCE THE EARLY 90S, BUT HIS MULTI-DISCIPLINARY WORK FOCUSES ON A TIME NOT SO LONG BEFORE THE 90S. HIS UNCANNY USE OF ARCHIVAL AND FOUND IMAGERY OPENS A WINDOW INTO TEENAGE SUBCULTURES PAST AND THEIR CONSUMPTION OF MUSIC, FREEDOM, YOUTH & REBELLION.
SHEARER BREAKS DOWN THE RAFT OF THE MEDUSA & REFORMS IT AS YOUTH PERFORMANCE, RIVAL TEAMS PRESENT IN FORMATION. THE DISPLAY FORCES VIEWERS TO STOP & MARVEL AT THE SPECTACLE. REVEALING AN AGGRESSIVE ENERGY LURKING JUST BELOW THE SURFACE OF PRESENTATION & PAGEANTRY, & FRIENDLY RIVALRIES.
BEING THE SUBJECT OF TEENAGE OBSESSION MUST BE JUST AS OVERWHELMING, BUT SHEARER EXPLORES THE DARKER SIDE OF CHILD CELEBRITY, & WITH IT THE DOWNFALL, IN MUSE LEIF GARRETT, A RECURRING FIGURE IN SHEARERS WORK. THE IMAGES CAPTURE A YOUTH COERCED BY HOLLYWOOD, THE EXHIBIT WALL BECOMES A RAREFIED VERSION OF A TEENAGERS BEDROOM SANCTUARY WHERE POSTERS ARE REPLACED WITH NEON SCREEN PRINTS. THE POSTER SUCH A POWERFUL SYMBOL OF ESCAPE FOR A TEENAGER, LONG BEFORE THE LURES OF VICE BECOME REALITIES, FOR SOME THAT IS.