Lux Ex Machina
24/9/26
Phil McGrath
McGrath deftly combines the rough and raw practicality of industrial technology with the domestic and incidental devices of the previous-century home.
In his debut solo exhibition ‘Lux ex Machina’, tinkerer and local artist Philip McGrath breathes new life (and light) into the lost, obsolete, and derelict machines of the 20th century, weaving the disparate components into distinctly fresh configurations.
Through his singular collection of balance-arm lamps, Philip deftly combines the rough and raw practicality of industrial technology with the domestic and incidental devices of the previous-century home. Fusing the unapologetically functional with the expressively aesthetic, the ‘Lux ex Machina’ exhibition will further illuminate appreciation of outdated tools, technology, and mechanisms.
The seemingly unremarkable remnants of dozens of disparate machines can be found across McGrath latest works - from the desiccated husks of vintage blow torches and hand pumps to the overlooked minutiae of our bicycles and barbecues; from the pragmatic designs of industrial hydraulics and car parts to the simple elegance of gramophones and goblets.
No component is left behind in the pursuit of remixing, refining, and re-illuminating our understanding of the potential hidden deep in our discarded mechanical world, and the joy that can be found in its new expression. The ‘light from the machine’ will reveal more than just what hides in the darkness.
What was once forgotten isn’t lost forever, and will shine once more.