Neon Parc acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong Boon Wurrung as the Traditional Owners and sovereign custodians of the Country on which we operate. We pay our deepest respects to their Elders past and present. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.
Darren Sylvester was born in 1974 in Warrane/Sydney, Australia. Lives and works in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia.
Darren Sylvester works across a wide range of disciplines including staged, prop-built photographs, sculptures, music and installations, embedded with commercial pop cultural reference tinged with ennui. In his large-scale photographs which resemble luxury commercial photography, he co-opts the language of consumer aspiration for his own ends. Various references including film, fashion, pop music videos, consumerism and capitalism come together in works that maintain a disquieting balance between the convincingly real and strangely artificial. The scenes in each photograph are constructed with laborious intensity, ultimately becoming frozen narratives (a plane flying into a clouded sunset; a crouching basketball player; models become pirates) with enigmatic and ambiguous poignancy. His work wryly brings low consumerism with high art, broadening the intersection between the commonplace, branded desires and sexual suggestion.
Darren Sylvester, installation view, 'Carve a Future, Devour Everything, Become Something', NGV Australia, 1 March – 30 June 2019. Photography: Tom Ross
‘SUBTEXT: Artists and Writing’, West Space, Melbourne
‘Black Box<>White Cube—Aspects of Performance in Contemporary Australian Art’, The Arts
Centre, Melbourne
‘Jospehine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award’, Gold Coast City Gallery, Gold
Coast
‘Art Stage Singapore’, Sullivan+Strumpf Fine Art, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
2010
‘Power Chicks and Men Who Sew’, Deloitte, Sydney
‘Mortality’, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne
‘Autumn Masterpieces’, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne
‘Double Exposure’, Viscopy Gallery, Sydney
‘ARTHK2010’, Sullivan+Strumpf Fine Art, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre,
Hong Kong SSFA10, Sullivan+Strumpf Fine Art, Sydney
Collections
Artbank
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth
Australia Council for the Arts
Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga
City of Port Phillip, Melbourne
Daniel & Danielle Besen Collection
Edith Cowan University, Perth
Gold Coast City Gallery, Gold Coast
Horsham Regional Gallery, Horsham
La Trobe University, Melbourne
Melbourne University, Baillieu Library, Melbourne Monash Gallery of Art, Melbourne Monash
University Collection, Melbourne
Murdoch University Collection, Perth
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane
Sir Elton John Collection
University of Queensland Art Museum, Brisbane
Private collections throughout Australasia, United States, United Kingdom, China
(close)Installation view, Darren Sylvester, ‘The Heads of Snowmen’, 2024. Neon Parc, Brunswick.Darren Sylvester, ‘Captain’, 2024. Hand blown glass, bronze, 29 x 19 x 23 cm.Installation view, Darren Sylvester, ‘The Heads of Snowmen’, 2024. Neon Parc, Brunswick.Darren Sylvester, ‘Snowy’, 2024. Hand blown glass, bronze, 32 x 30 x 35 cm.Darren Sylvester, 'Petty moxie', 2024. Archival inkjet print, 160 x 120 cm.Installation view, Darren Sylvester, ‘Doom Buggies’, 2024. Neon Parc, Brunswick.Darren Sylvester, 'Boys in the rain', 2024. Archival inkjet prints, 240 x 160 cm.Darren Sylvester, 'Pirates par excellence', 2024. Archival inkjet prints, 320 x 240 cm.Installation view, Darren Sylvester, ‘Doom Buggies’, 2024. Neon Parc, Brunswick.Installation view, Darren Sylvester, ‘Uncanny Vallery: Photography, Tech and the Hyperreal’, as part of PHOTO 2024.Darren Sylvester, Cheeseburger, 2017, Screenprinted Danish wool, stainless steel, 202 x 102 x 50 cm, Edition 1/1 + 2APDarren Sylvester, 'Star Machine', 2023. Lightjet prints, 240 x 160 cm.Darren Sylvester, 'Transformer', 2021. Steel, neon, transformers, animator unit, mixed media, 220 x 130 x 48 cm. Installation view, '2022 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Free/State', Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 2022.Darren Sylvester, 'Dear Diary' 2021, two lightjet prints, 240 x 160 cm, edition of 3 + 2 AP, lightjet print, 180 x 120 cm, edition of 3 + 2 AP.Darren Sylvester, 'Forest Flats', 2021. Two lightjet prints, 240 x 160cm.Darren Sylvester, 'God bless therapy', 2021. Two lightjet prints, 240 x 160 cm.Darren Sylvester, 'Shoobie Doobie', 2021, two lightjet prints, 240 x 160 cm.Darren Sylvester, 'Adidas Hikers' 2017. Digital type C print, 320 x 120 cm, Ed. 2/3 + 2 AP.Darren Sylvester, 'Céline', 2019. Acrylic, paint, timber, fluroescents, 240 x 240 x 20 cm.Darren Sylvester, 'Sleeping Beauty dungeon door', 2021. Jelutong wood, natural stain, steel. 102 x 46 x 7 cm.Darren Sylvester, 'Transformer', 2021. Steel, neon, transformers, animator unit, mixed media. 220 x 130 x 48 cmDarren Sylvester, 'Triple S Space Rocker' 2021. Birch wood, black film, upholstery foam, wool, rubber, paint, 180 x 60 x 90 cm.Darren Sylvester, What happens will happen #3, 2010, Digital type C print, 120 x 90 cm, AP 2/2Darren Sylvester, Hi, 2010, Lightjet C print
120 x 160 cm, Ed. 1/3 + 2 APDarren Sylvester, 'Let hopes and dreams be things we can achieve', 2005, Digital type C print, 90 x 120 cm, AP 2/2Darren Sylvester, If all we have is each other, that’s OK, 2003,
Digital type C print, 90 x 120 cm, AP 2/2Darren Sylvester, 'Broken model', 2016. Digital type C print, .120 x 160 cm. AP 2/2.Darren Sylvester, To live, 2016, Bronze and porcelain, purple sand, Dimensions variable, Edition 32/40Darren Sylvester, 'Triple S Space Rocker', 2021. Birch wood, upholstery foam, wool, rubber, paint. 180 x 60 x 90 cm.Darren Sylvester, 'Forever twenty one', Neon Parc City, 2019. Installation view.Darren Sylvester, 'Forever twenty one', 2019. Four lightjet prints, overall 240 x 320 cm. Ed. 1/3 + 2 APDarren Sylvester, 'Forever twenty one', Neon Parc City, 2019. Installation view.Darren Sylvester, 'Horizon', 2019. Lightjet print, 160 x 120 cm. Ed. 3/3 + 2AP.Darren Sylvester, Darren Sylvester, 'IKEA sunrise', 2018. Digital type C print, 240 x 160 cm. Ed. 1/3 + 2AP.Darren Sylvester, 'Listen to me', 2012. Digital type C print, 160 x 120 cm. Ed. 1/3 + 2AP.Darren Sylvester, 'Fillet-O-Fish', 2017. Screenprinted Danish wool, stainless steel
202 x 102 x 50 cm, Unique.Darren Sylvester, 'Psychic's house', 2020. Digital type C print
180 x 120 cm, Ed. 2/3 + 2AP.Darren Sylvester, 'Such a memory', 2012. Digital type C print, 160 x 120 cm. Ed. 1/3 + 2AP.Darren Sylvester, 'Your heart never lied', 2012. Digital type C print, 160 x 120 cm. Ed. 1/3 + 2AP.Darren Sylvester, 'Silver Lockheed', 2017. Digital type C print, 240 x 160 cm, Ed of 3 + 2AP.Darren Sylvester, Installation view, '2022 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Free/State', Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 2022.Darren Sylvester, 'Séance', 2022. Six lightjet prints, 240 x 480 cm. Unique. Installation view, '2022 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Free/State', Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 2022.Darren Sylvester, installation view, 'Carve a Future, Devour Everything, Become Something', NGV Australia, 1 March – 30 June 2019. Photography: Tom RossDarren Sylvester, installation view, 'Carve a Future, Devour Everything, Become Something', NGV Australia, 1 March – 30 June 2019. Photography: Tom RossDarren Sylvester, installation view, 'Carve a Future, Devour Everything, Become Something', NGV Australia, 1 March – 30 June 2019. Photography: Tom RossDarren Sylvester, Who you are or how I meet you, I don’t know, 2007, Digital type C print, 90 x 120 cm, Ed. 4/6 + 2 APDarren Sylvester,
I'm gonna live on after I die. In a search engine for all eternity, there I will be,
2014,
Embroidered towel,
71 x 144 cmDarren Sylvester, 'Shoobie Doobie', 2021. Installation viewDarren Sylvester, 'Shoobie Doobie', 2021. Installation view.Darren Sylvester, 'Shoobie Doobie', 2021. Installation viewDarren Sylvester, 'Shoobie Doobie', 2021. Installation view.Darren Sylvester, 'Shoobie Doobie', 2021. Installation view.Darren Sylvester, 'Shoobie Doobie', 2021. Installation view.Darren Sylvester, 'Shoobie Doobie', 2021. Installation view.Darren Sylvester, 'Céline', 2017. Steel, paint, steel, light, 240 x 240 x 20 cm. Installation view, Bus Projects, Melbourne.Darren Sylvester, 'Céline', 2017. Steel, paint, steel, light, 240 x 240 x 20 cm. Installation view, Bus Projects, Melbourne.Darren Sylvester, 'Céline', 2019. Acrylic, paint, timber, fluroescents, 240 x 240 x 20 cm.Darren Sylvester, 'Céline', 2017. Steel, paint, steel, light, 240 x 240 x 20 cm. Installation view, Bus Projects, Melbourne.Darren Sylvester, 'Forever twenty one', Neon Parc City, 2019. Installation view.Darren Sylvester, Green Editorial, 2016, Digital type C print, 180 x 120 cm, Ed. 1/3 + 2APDarren Sylvester, installation view, 'Carve a Future, Devour Everything, Become Something', NGV Australia, 1 March – 30 June 2019. Photography: Tom RossInstallation view, Darren Sylvester, Neon Parc Brunswick, 2017.Darren Sylvester, 'Fillet-O-Fish', 2017. Screenprinted Danish wool, stainless steel
202 x 102 x 50 cm, Unique.Installation view, Darren Sylvester, Neon Parc Brunswick, 2017.Darren Sylvester, 'Silver Lockheed', 2017. Digital type C print, 240 x 160 cm, Ed of 3 + 2AP.Installation view, Darren Sylvester, Neon Parc Brunswick, 2017.Installation view, Darren Sylvester, Neon Parc Brunswick, 2017.Installation view, Darren Sylvester, Neon Parc Brunswick, 2017.
