Studies in Religion Seminar: Gregory Uzelac
The Superflat Divine: Unlocking Religious Myth Through Contemporary Art.
Gregory Uzelac | 4pm, 21 March, 2023
Myth is the glue that holds society together, but in modern civilisation we have lost our connection to the symbolic realm from where humanity’s greatest stories and religious traditions have derived. But all is not lost! In this seminar Gregory Uzelac discusses Superflat, the theory put forward by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, whose work with fashion brands and hip-hop artists have brought him global acclaim. Turning Murakami’s quietly radical theory of contemporary art toward the religious and mythic, Uzelac explores how contemporary art enables myth to be conveyed fully and accessibly to all. Through words, images, and video we shall examine the unique position the artist now holds in digital-age society, replacing traditional religious authorities as facilitators of the stories that form the bedrock of a functioning community.
About the speaker
Gregory Uzelac is an artist and curator from New York City, as well as a researcher and tutor in Studies of Religion at the University of Sydney. With a background in Jewish Studies, South Asian Studies, and Postcolonial Art, his academic and artistic work explores the formation and functionality of ideology, as well as the cultivation of mythic narratives in literary, digital, and cinematic world building.
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Where
Western Tower Room, Quadrangle A14
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