China Heights presents a two-person exhibition ‘DISTATE’ featuring SpiderXdeath and Edward Woodley. Both artists are heavily inspired by hardcore punk design and aesthetics and have worked together for over a decade, producing complementary work, and publishing punk publications and recordings under the banner of Winter Garden Records.
Edward Woodley; uses signage and the architecture of typography for the basis of his work.
Inspired by the dystopian lyrics and the marching “D-beat” of seminal British punk band 'Discharge', his series of work 'Decontrol' observes the human compulsion with systems of order and discipline.
By intersecting ideological symbols of faith and state, a fractured message of familiarity vs displacement is brandished through the slicing semiotics of brand logos and icons.
The foundation of the work is based on salvaged steel carnival signage and brass sheeting, forming an armoured platform for the hand-painted enamel symbols and broken text, prompting the viewer to drift through the works psychogeography.
SpiderXdeath; “My 'State Control' series is inspired and heavily influenced by British punk band 'Discharge'. They were influential in many ways when they were born during the second wave of punk and still hold clout to this day. The formula and song structure of Discharge was always quite simple and “meat and potatoes“, which inspired hundreds of copycat bands and went as far as to add “dis” to the start of their name and reused many Discharge motifs for their own artwork. From there, a style of music was born coined “D-beat”, which itself has had many mutations and variants over the years.
Discharge's music is stark, bleak and confronting, much like the propaganda posters of the Cold War. When I hear discharge I often think of an image that demands urgency, immediate attention and action.
With that in mind, I created a series of paintings to convey the feelings of this band in visual, uncompromising nature.
The dot work series deals with state control but in a more literal sense. Each artwork deals with single facets of state control such as technology, drug abuse, & police oppression. I have drawn in this style for two decades now, originally it was the optimum technique to use for flyers and zines that would get photocopied over and over, yet still, maintain a high amount of information.
I have taken a lot of influence from legendary punk illustrators and artists such as Pushead, Nick Blinko, Sugi and Crow.”
SpiderXdeath is a Melbourne based illustrator, tattooer and Australian punk icon.
As a special release for the 'DISTATE' exhibition, Winter Garden Records has produced a split 7" record featuring friends Low Life & Schkeuditzer Kreuz covering 'State Violence State Control'. Each record is lathe cut, featuring a fold-out A3 poster and hand-cut wire-mesh cover insert.