FUCK CITY - A COLLECTION OF NEW WORKS BY JOEL BIRCH | OPENING MAY 1

FUCK CITY - A COLLECTION OF NEW WORKS BY JOEL BIRCH


| NINE LIVES | ONE WEEKEND ONLY | OPENING MAY 1 |

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The latest exhibition to come your way via the Nine Lives gallery is the first solo show for Brisbane-based artist Joel Birch. And Fuck City is its name-o.

Joel Birch, however, is more than just a piss weak play on B-I-N-G-O in a press release (though we hope you’re still reading).
The frontman for The Amity Affliction and former art director for Brisbane creative team The Kingdom of Sad Machines will be exhibiting a collection of new works - ranging from the illustrative and type-based work he’s renowned for – to his recent venture into photography (though Joel makes it very clear that he does not consider himself a photographer).

The photographic works you will see are a collection of shots from an old Pentax he picked up months ago, and capture various aspects of his own life – touring with Amity Affliction, and in his own words ‘I get to see so many amazing places and hang out with interesting people that I would otherwise never meet, I feel the need to capture that...’.

Now a full-time graphic designer, Joel works predominantly with a range of bands & clothing labels under Umbrella Creative Services. He attributes his love for graphic design and type-based work to graffiti, something he began experimenting with at the tender age of 17. Through graffiti, Joel ‘developed a deep fascination with letterforms and how they fit together’. This is evident to anyone familiar with The Kingdom of Sad Machines, Joel’s former collaboration with other Brisbane artists who were responsible for the output of the Death Before Dishonour & Artillery publications. He credits (amongst others), the likes of Alex Trochut, Jeff Canham, Ed Woodley & Mike Giant as influences on his own work.

Though having exhibited works for various shows in recent years (I used to skate once & our very first Nine Lives exhibition to name drop), this is Joel Birch’s first solo show. It runs for one week only, opening early Friday evening.