Tony Garifalakis ‘Mutual Assured Destruction’ book
Mutual Assured Destruction is the first major book on Tony Garifalakis’ work.
Tony Garifalakis’s practice over the past two decades has examined social relations and the semiotics of power. His work particularly engages the ways in which the meaning of signs, symbols, and images might be ascribed, conveyed, or transformed, and how conventional notions of hierarchy and status might be undermined or subverted. Garifalakis calls into question social, political, artistic, and religious systems of belief – as well as the institutions that uphold them – through a range of strategies that include amplification of the signifiers utilised by those institutions themselves, subversive juxtaposition of image and text, and the deployment of dark, incongruous humour.
Garifalakis evokes and interrogates a diversity of imagery and phenomena, including but not limited to religious iconography, death, cults, New-Age spiritualism, conspiracy theories, gun culture, and Hollywood Satanism.
Tony Garifalakis’s practice over the past two decades has examined social relations and the semiotics of power. His work particularly engages the ways in which the meaning of signs, symbols, and images might be ascribed, conveyed, or transformed, and how conventional notions of hierarchy and status might be undermined or subverted. Garifalakis calls into question social, political, artistic, and religious systems of belief – as well as the institutions that uphold them – through a range of strategies that include amplification of the signifiers utilised by those institutions themselves, subversive juxtaposition of image and text, and the deployment of dark, incongruous humour.
Garifalakis evokes and interrogates a diversity of imagery and phenomena, including but not limited to religious iconography, death, cults, New-Age spiritualism, conspiracy theories, gun culture, and Hollywood Satanism.
Edited by Brad Haylock and Stuart Geddes and designed by Geddes, the publication gives a comprehensive insight into Garifalakis’ practice, including his well-known Cover Ups and Mob Rule series, as well as important early photocopied works and wall paintings, and rarely-seen works from archives.
Mutual Assured Destruction features essays by Melbourne-based cultural studies scholar Nikos Papastergiadis and Mexico City–based curator Daniel Garza Usabiaga, and an extensive interview with the artist by Melbourne-based curator Mark Feary.
The beautiful softcover, full-colour, 236-page publication was produced in Melbourne by Surpllus.
ISBN 9781922099235.
Measures approximately 31.7 x 22.8 x 2.5 cm.
