Monoman
Curriculum Vitae / Biography
Monoman's Monoworks are truly innovative and derive not from desperate research but rather from circumstance. Monoman's output flows along three distinct but complementary lines.
His bmp Paintings (oil on canvas) are the result of his extensive exposure to Byron Bay outdoor techno parties (called doofs by those in the know) combined with his years as a freakish drummer in various cutting-edge bands in the South of France: Monoman actually 'drums them up' to the sound of trance techno. His Sylvan paintings (oil on zinc) stem from his old teenage passions for weird SF narratives and kitsch eroticism.
His Laserlite Montages (de`coupage in polycarbonate come from a family obsession with magazines and cuttings. Monoman 'rolls them up' and uses them to pervert industrial material.
Monoman was born in Morocco to an averagely dysfunctional family of very mixed origins, including Italian, Spanish, Maltese, French and Vietnamese. He grew up on the French Riviera on the wrong side of the yachts. Before he could walk properly, his parents tossed him in the Mediterranean with a mask and snorkel. His big brother, a glam-rock aficionado, made him sing pop tunes before he could speak properly. He played drums early in the day, angering the neighbours. He antagonised various high school principals before realising formal education did little for him. So he boarded the first boat to Corsica, leaving his nth rock band behind, to work as a barman in a night-club. One island leading to another he ended up teaching scuba diving in Byron Bay. He took part in three group shows in NSW before being feted at 6* Modern Art Gallery in Byron Bay for his first one-man show in September 2000.