Chris Mason

Chris Mason (born 1976) is an Australian artist. Mason resides in Melbourne. His work is held in several public collections, including those of the National Gallery of Australia and the State Library of Victoria. Career, themes and style Both Mason's lack of formal training and autism have identified him as one of the key figures within the Outsider Art category in Australia. This categorisation is confirmed by his repeated inclusion in Outsider Art exhibitions and fairs, both in Australia and in the USA. However, in recent years his work has also achieved success in more conventional art institutions and has been acquired for major collections at the National Gallery of Australia and the State Library of Victoria. Mason cites as a major influence the artist Ron Mueck, with whom his work shares the Hyperrealist style that emerged from photorealism, and whose subject matter is derived from reinterpretations of photographic imagery. His signature depictions of voluptuous women are sourced from images collected from the Internet and various publications; in his search for reference material he aims for women whose dimensions result in the figures being "almost as tall as they are wide," dimensions which he views as "perfect" and "archetypal." In recent years Mason has developed a tendency towards smaller-scale ceramic pieces and has expressed a strong interest in pursuing taxidermy in his work, which APA Studio Manager James McDonald describes as "a logical next step." Mason has exhibited at Gertrude Contemporary, c3 Contemporary Art Space and Linden New Art. He has also held a solo exhibition at Sydney's prestigious Darren Knight Gallery in 2014. Publications Anne Stonehouse, So Far… Eight Artists / Eight Stories, Arts Project Australia, Melbourne, 2014.