Myth, Mayhem & Metropolis – by Marco Luccio. Presented by Griffith Regional Art Gallery

Myth, Mayhem & Metropolis is Marco Luccio’s latest exhibition, showcasing major works shown globally and now presented in Griffith, bringing together an extraordinary body of new, past and significant works.

Visitors to the gallery will find a treasure trove of monumental myth making and architectural expression, alongside devious warrior like sculptural forms and fascinating old postcards re imagined as the ground for large scale drawings, all executed in Luccio’s distinctive and visceral style.

In true Luccio style, he invites you to step inside his mind as you intimately engage with each work. He asks you to allow each piece to tell its story, creating your own meaning and vision and resulting in a truly interactive experience.

A centrepiece of the exhibition is a monumental 14 foot ink drawing of New York, created from Luccio’s vantage point atop the Chrysler Building, where he worked for more than ten years, night and day, calling that Art Deco masterpiece his studio. From rooftops, skyscrapers and the streets of Manhattan, Luccio captured the psychological and architectural intensity of what he describes as the first and ultimate metropolis.

These works lend powerful weight to the title of the exhibition.

But New York is not the only city represented. Elegant images of Florence appear alongside striking portrayals of Sydney Harbour and the Harbour Bridge that avoid cliché and instead celebrate the beauty of engineered urban structures. Melbourne and Paris feature in densely scratched chiaroscuro drypoints and dynamic charcoal drawings. Assemblages, bronzes and paintings depict vivid scenes from Luccio’s mythological book series, reinforcing the themes of myth and mayhem that give the exhibition its name.

Importantly, the exhibition also features works from Luccio’s celebrated Aphrodite series, first shown at the Hellenic Museum. In these powerful works, Aphrodite emerges not merely as the goddess of romantic love, but as a force of transformation, resilience and healing.

In Griffith, Aphrodite presents her message anew, a reminder of the power of love, hope and renewal in times of personal and collective struggle. Through bold line, symbolic gesture and mythological re interpretation, Luccio reclaims Aphrodite as an enduring archetype of strength. The works extend the exhibition’s core themes of shadow and struggle, revealing that beneath conflict lies the possibility of compassion and restoration.

Feature Works Include

• The Garden of Sorrows and Tales from the Greek Series

• The Postcard Series

• Works from the Aphrodite Series first exhibited at the Hellenic Museum

• A large drawing constructed from hundreds of historic New York postcards, assembled into a vast surface where two figures appear either in combat or harmony depending on the viewer’s perspective

• The massive Kongo Power Figure, standing six feet in height and scratched into an equally large copper plate, a rare scale in printmaking. The work took six months to gouge and carve, leaving its scars not only on the copper but on the artist himself

The Kongo figure speaks to universal themes of pain, sacrifice and healing through ritual. It aligns with Luccio’s long standing engagement with the struggle, referencing Jungian ideas of the shadow. In this exhibition, struggle is not merely conflict. It is transformation. The shadow becomes supporter. Pain becomes strength.

The exhibition also includes showcases filled with Luccio’s tools and sketchbooks, films showing Luccio at work, and books and catalogues that provide insight into the artist’s process. Visitors witness the discipline, experimentation and relentless commitment behind the monumental works.

The Griffith Connection

Luccio’s special Griffith connection is materialised through the metaphorical symbol of the cactus, a plant that survives in harsh conditions, stores resilience within its structure, and thrives where others might fail. The cactus becomes an emblem of endurance, adaptability and inner strength, qualities that echo both Luccio’s exploration of the struggle and the spirit of Griffith itself.

The industrial beauty of the region, silos and engineered structures, offers locals the opportunity to reflect on their own past while seeing familiar industrial sites as if for the first time through Luccio’s work. Urban engineering meets regional identity. Global experience meets local memory.

SPECIAL EVENTS

A generous and engaging speaker, Marco will appear throughout the exhibition

• Artist Talk Reflections on this body of work and the search for meaning through art

• Sketching for Sanity Luccio’s highly recognisable and engaging class for non drawers

• Life Story Presentation A personal journey through art, myth and identity with refreshments

Visitors are encouraged to allow extra time, as there is much to experience.

EDUCATIONAL IMPACT

Importantly, Myth, Mayhem & Metropolis will be a rich and inspiring experience for teachers and students. Luccio’s engaging talks and dynamic drawing workshops encourage expressive mark making, confidence and resilience. His workshops focus on moving beyond perfection and understanding struggle as a creative force, inspiring both emerging and established creatives.

THIS EXHIBITION WILL RESONATE DEEPLY WITH

• Anyone who has ever wanted to live a more creative life

• Those seeking a more adventurous existence

• Anyone open to inviting reflection and meaning into their lives

• Both experienced art audiences and those discovering art for the first time

ABOUT MARCO LUCCIO

Marco Luccio has held 50 solo exhibitions, participated in more than 208 curated, group and award exhibitions, and completed numerous commissions.

He has exhibited extensively in New York, including two solo exhibitions at the Australian Consulate. His work is represented in 42 major public and corporate collections, including

• New York Public Library

• Museum of the City of New York

• New York Historical Society

• National Gallery of Australia

• National Gallery of Victoria

• State Library of Victoria

• City of Melbourne

Luccio worked for over a decade atop the Chrysler Building in New York, one of the very few artists, a century apart, to have maintained a studio there alongside photo journalist and documentary photographer Margaret Bourke White.

Curators in New York have praised his vision of their city. Marilyn Kushner, Curator at the New York Historical Society, observed

“Though Luccio lives across the globe, he sees New York like a New Yorker.”

Former Heide Museum of Modern Art Director Warwick Reeder once said

“Luccio is one of the artists leading printmaking into a new renaissance.”

Widely regarded as an artist’s artist, Luccio influences both emerging and established practitioners. He has mentored many artists to achieve their creative goals and lives by a guiding philosophy of being in service to others through art, knowledge and generosity.

Described as a risk taker and leader, Luccio continually pushes new themes and directions. For him, work, art and life are inseparable. His practice and his existence are one.

As Luccio says

“I would create the work even if no one saw it. Like most artists, I have to do it. It’s a way to feel more human, more centred, more connected to the world, even if the feeling lasts only for a short time.”

Myth, Mayhem & Metropolis is not merely an exhibition about cities.

It is an invitation to reflect on civilisation, shadow, ambition and resilience, and to recognise the architecture each of us carries within