Penny Byrne's MFA Research completion viewing will be available for viewing at SITE EIGHT Gallery

Penny Byrne
White Gold: A Throne Gallery for the 21st Century

WHITE GOLD takes its que from the way porcelain was used to express power during the mid-eighteenth century in Europe, when porcelain was such a rare and valuable commodity that it was known as WHITE GOLD. At the time Emperor Augustus the Strong, King of Poland, had a passion for Chinese and Meissen porcelain, and had plans drawn up for a porcelain Throne Gallery, where he could show off the ascendency of Saxon porcelain over that of China. White Gold imagines a possible 21st Century incarnation of The Throne of Augustus the Strong, as an expression of modern day power and authority. The Throne at the centre of WHITE GOLD is Putin’s Throne, for it is said that Putin sees himself as a modern-day Tsar. This installation also features nearly 300 vintage porcelain figurines donated by Penny’s social media followers in “The Great Figurine Hunt of 2022.” The mass of figurines represents the brave people of Ukraine. 

This installation is her personal response to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

#StandWithUkraine

Image: Penny Byrne, White gold install image, 2022 (Photo: Janelle Low)