James Lieutenant and Kate Vassallo are an Australian collaborative artist duo, currently located in Canberra. While they each maintain an individual art practice, they have worked together since 2012 creating large-scale wall paintings.
These abstract paintings are site-responsive, visual investigations into the architectural spaces that house them. The pair engages the visual history of wall painting in art, while planting it firmly in a contemporary context. By working together, they attempt to erase traces of the ‘artist’s hand’, making work neither would attempt individually. Optics, chaos, illusion, graphics, design, abstraction, process, pattern-making, chance, failure and temporality come together in the making and viewing of their work.
Kate Vassallo Born in Canberra (1989),
Education
2010
Bachelor of Visual Arts (Honours), First Class with University Medal, Australian National University (ANU) School of Art
James Lieutenant Born in Canberra (1986)
Education
2010
Bachelor of Visual Arts (Honours), ANU School of Art
James Lieutenant and Kate Vassallo Collaborative Artist CV
Exhibitions
2017
Old Eagle, Megalo Print Studio and Gallery, Canberra ACT
2016
Counter Compositions, Artbank Gallery, Sydney NSW
2014
Mistints #3 (Canberra), Canberra Museum and Gallery, Canberra ACT
Mistints #2 (Melbourne), Bus Projects, Melbourne VIC
Mistints #1 (Sydney), Archive_ Space, Sydney NSW
2013
This is Graphics, Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Canberra ACT
Media and Publications
2016
Amadou Doumbia, Interview with the artists of Criss-Cross, The Silver Egg, May 3rd 2016 LINK
Kate Cole, Artbank Exhibition "Counter Compositions", Basic Habitat, April 13th 2016 LINK
2014
Archive_, #26 MISTINTS, Zacha Rosen, May 2014 LINK
2013
Hyperallergic, New Work Tuesday LINK
The Art Life, New Work Friday LINK
BMA Magazine, Graphic Content, Chloe Mandryk, June 4th 2013 LINK
Commissions and Collections
Artworks also held in private collections throughout Australia.
2018
Goulburn Regional Gallery/Goulburn Mulwaree Council Public Artwork, NSW
4A Centre for Contemporary Art commission at Richmond Marketplace, NSW
2017
Harris and Hobbs private residential commission, ACT
2016
Artbank exhibition commission with permanent installation in Waterloo HQ, NSW
Ovolo Group (HK and Aus) commission at Ovolo Woolloomooloo Hotel, NSW