Discussing “The Four Horsemen of the Twenty First Century Apocalypse”

A Melbourne artist will next week explain to her Shepparton audience what motivated her to create the four-piece sculpture “The Four Horsemen of the Twenty First Century Apocalypse”.

Penny Byrne will discuss with Vice Chancellor’s Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne and the former Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability Victoria, Kate Auty, what drove her to create the work.

Penny Byrne's "The Four Horsemen
of The Twenty First Century
Apocalypse" will be discussed at
SAM on Wednesday, December 17.

Penny and Kate, watched by “four horsemen”, will discuss the sculpture at the Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) on Wednesday, December 17, at 7:30 for 8:00pm.

The Friends of SAM and the Shepparton-based group, Slap Tomorrow, have worked together to make the evening of conversation possible.

Penny is the ceramic artist dubbed by the Art Collector ‘the porcelain vandal’ who made “The Four Horsemen of the Twenty First Century Apocalypse” back in 2009.

The sculpture represents four of the great cultural challenges to human kind and the many other species of nature on earth are represented through the names of the horses; water shortages, peak oil, food scarcity and over population.

Each of these challenges have been described by philosophers as ‘unintended’ consequences of the phenomenal successes of the industrial revolution, an epoch which is said to be moving beyond its own logic into a phase of self dissolution; a transitional Apocalypse navigated through the ‘risk society’ and it’s promising technologies, to somewhere that is not yet, a time, that we hope will bring a more harmonious and flourishing environment to the world.

SAM acquired Penny Byrne’s beautiful four-piece porcelain artwork for the permanent collection in 2010. The horsemen represent a contemporary interpretation of the biblical revelation story of the four horsemen of the apocalypse.

Those planning to hear Penny and Kate need to book as seating is limited to 90. Bookings can be made at the Shepparton Art Museum by phoning (03) 5832 9861.