Brian Campbell - Head Above The Water

Despite the title of his latest exhibition, Brian Campbell doesn't so much lift his head out of the water as he raises it above the parapet, building an imaginary world using satire, fantasy and humour to contemplate some serious, possibly even profound, questions.

From a self-described “fringe-dweller viewpoint”, the Gisborne artist's work offers a bleak and darkly funny vision of humanity’s future.

This exhibition features some of the most substantial works of Campbell's lengthy career. And in them he takes viewers on a journey with a recurring cast of characters – along with some new ones – that he commissions to help relay his commentary on contemporary life.

Tackling issues from conspiracy theories to climate change, Campbell’s work mines the animal in us all as he monkeys around with our cultural pretensions in a voice steeped in humorous affection for humankind.