Hobart street artist Empire finds it hard not to think about sex and violence. An emerging artist whose practice dips greedily into visual representations of war, pornography, popular culture and advertising, Empire's work clusters over the walls of the street and the gallery like the innards of a socially charged Petri dish.

Stylistically influenced by punk, fluxus and political propaganda, Empire calls upon the role of historical artists like Francisco Goya, Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel to describe his place in the art world. "These artists demonstrated the role of artist as preacher, documenting fire and brimstone and the end of the world," he says. "This is how I also see myself."
 
Using his artwork to publicly critique society and comment on our place within it, Empire's complex yet lucid visual narratives are drenched in detail and unfold with bristling intensity, not unlike a contemporary take on the surreally allegorical creations of Bosch. Care Bears brandishing skulls on their huggable tummies placed next to sexy girls ripping into chunks of KFC were a common sight in his early work. Most recently, Empire has been experimenting with self-portraiture to reflect his own willing involvement in the culture he critiques.

Excited by the new-found energy of urban street art, in his second year of art school Empire joined forces with like-minded students Jamin and Paicey to form the Die Laughing Collective, a collaborative project created to showcase their ideas and support the Tasmanian street-art scene. It has been a venture that has proved beneficial for them all. "Through collaborating and competing on and off the street, we really encourage each other to experiment and continually reinvent our individual practices," says Empire.

With an honours degree in painting and printmaking under his belt, Empire is exhibiting new work alongside fellow street artists and alternative toy makers in The Great Cotton Battle at Hobart's Inflight Gallery in March and will also travel with the Die Laughing Collective to the 2007 Melbourne Stencil Festival. Always seeking to challenge complacency, Empire continues to thrust his art into the world -- uncensored and unrestrained. "Street art defies commodification," he admits. "By looking at my work, I want people to question their actions and assumptions. Hopefully some of them will pick up some spray paint and hopefully some will just be offended."

www.dielaughing.com.au
www.inflightart.com.au

Image: Die Laughing Collective, Untitled, 2006, spray enamel on board, 182 x 300cm. Courtesy the artist.