Michael Bragge studied at Melbourne State college between 1975-1978 learning B Ed Art & Craft. From his Graduate Exhibition in 1978 through to his current works, the 6’ x 4’ Retrospective exhibition, Michael Bragge has consistently plundered the nooks and crannies of Western Art culture as a theme worthy of reflection.
The 6’ x 4’ paintings began in 1978, and the motif has been repeatedly used to discuss myriads of Art’s topics. For a time, Bragge worked as a picture framer and this subconscious familiarity runs through Bragge’s work and acts as a “trail of breadcrumbs”. The historic battle between representational painting, formalist abstraction and conceptual art is mimicked through this series.
The limitations of the 6’ x 4’ image presents the artist with the challenge to get such a simple image to talk in stylistically divergent ways. In so doing Bragge has created a laboratory of creative thought easily observed by the viewer. We can follow his thought processes as he takes this simple image to
the many stylistic corners of Western Art.
He’s said “I am intrigued by the role of choice in the creative decision-making process. So much of human history offered our ancestors little or no choice at all and the most successful culture on earth, Australia’s first people managed all aspects of their lives with well-founded law, followed by all.”
“Twenty first century Western marketing insists however, that we should be bombarded endlessly by the illusion of choice. Similarly, clichés around stereotypical modern artists abound with notions of creative freedom and originality which now leach out into mainstream society.”
“In that context I thought it might be more interesting to explore a single choice, repeated. In 1977 I took a simple “Frame, Mat, Image” format and set about repeating it to the present day. Inspired by Duchamp’s avoidance of “unnecessary decisions” I have found exciting challenges in making this simple format work toward varying ends.”
Through out his life, Michael has presented many roles whether it being a well respected visual arts teacher at Victoria Gov secondary schools for 45 years to being heavily involved in dressage and equestrian events. One of his more notable facts is that in 1982, Bragge as a 25 year old, rode from Brisbane to Melbourne with packhorse, completely unassisted.
There is, in the Western Art tradition, an expectation for an established artist to arrive at an easily recognisable style while moving from image to image. Consistent with his questioning mind, Bragge has flipped the tradition by working the same image through many of Art histories established styles.
The titles of many of the works are borrowed from the background chatter of popular culture while also having some relevance to the work. The use of these contemporary phrases helps place the work in the “real world”. In so doing Bragge is asking where does Art sit in his diverse life and indeed where does Western Art sit in our complex culture.