Monsters Love You!
Monsters... is a riot of creative self expression, colour and pattern - all designed to help families play together.
This art installation uses touch, scale, and a sense of adventure to inspire young minds (and some not so young) to find new ways to express themselves.
The Monsters challenge viewers to use creative thinking to interact and create connection.
"Can play be art? Can art be for children? We think so. Children have always responded to our vibrant use of colour and pattern, and they immediately understand scale and awe.
'Monsters' is a gateway to childlike wonder and joy, discovering ourselves and each other through creativity and play." Artist - Matthew Aberline
“We wanted to get back to the heart of simple family dynamics away from technology, a space where grown ups and children can play together. Hopefully this work allows everyone to express their inner child.” - Maurice Goldberg
Monsters is at its core, an interactive, experiential artwork. Unlike traditional gallery works, participants are encouraged to touch the work and interact with the characters and elements of the installation.
‘Play’ is essential when enjoying Monsters - running, jumping, hugging and hiding games are encouraged in an art installation that champions self expression.
The Monsters feel very human. Using hand painting methods that have been digitised, every brush stroke and paint splatter is apparent. It's like they have jumped right out the painter's sketch book into larger than life forms.
The installation is made from 5 large pieces that can be configured in a variety of ways, the largest being almost 5 metres tall.
The installation is made in Sydney by the artists, from a sustainable textile made from recycled drinking bottles.
The pieces are engineered to all weather conditions, and 60 mph winds, are suited for either indoor or outdoor installation.
The fun doesn't stop there!
GAS have a series of ancillary workshops that explore different aspects of the Monsters creative experience!
Notable Exhibits:
Enlighten - Canberra, ACT
The Making of Monsters:
Monsters began as a series of characters scribbled into artist Matthew Aberline’s notebooks.
Prior to forming GAS, Aberline was part of the design team that brought Australia live productions of contemporary children's classics - The Gruffalo, The 13 Storey Treehouse, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, and Meet Mozart.
Matt had been developing these wonderful sketches of lovable characters for years, and in 2020 they finally manifested into a series of interactive artworks for Canberra’s Enlighten Festival.
