Daisi Diddle, A Man from Wollert, 2021. Acrylic on recycled board, 20 x 25cm. $480. Courtesy: the artist
Luke Potkin
Fair Director, The Other Art Fair, Australia
Diddle’s work offers a fantastically whimsical tableau. The subversion of the man as unkempt and uncouth, and the lauding of the sheep as dignified and superior, could speak to the negative role that humans play in nature. Who are the real animals here? But the use of the word accidentally does such heavy lifting in terms of conjuring up a comic impression of this encounter by sheep and man. Why was the handshake accidental? Is it that the sheep would ordinarily shun a lowlife such as this? Would the man ordinarily avoid greeting the elites of the farm? Or was it just one of those awkward moments where one mistook a hand gesture for the offering of a hand and before you know it they’re locked in an awkward handshake?
Benjamin Clay
Gallery Manager, Olsen Gallery, Sydney
A Man from Wollert is a charming example of Diddle’s playful art-making. Presenting knobbly figuration with brilliant execution, the painting on board riffs on the absurdity of the 2021 news-cycle. The beguiling scene makes use of a recycled timber surface, celebrating the imperfection and personality that it offers an otherwise tightly rendered composition. Diddle confidently blends humour and allegory to thoroughly engaging ends.