West End Art Space
112 Adderley St, West Melbourne
3 – 25 May, 2025
A Wonderful Life confronts the contradictions in our societal ideal of happiness through the medium of collage. Larger than life images of joyful people are juxtaposed against stark depictions of social unrest, sexism and war. These contrasting visuals prompt reflection on the idealised notion of a ‘wonderful life’ that is often promoted, yet frequently undermined by basic inequality, suffering, and conflict.
Drawing inspiration from photojournalism of the 1950s and 60s, the artist offers a challenging commentary on everyday life, blending bold and powerful imagery with strong black and white contrasts that both reflect the era’s glaring social dynamics and highlight their relevance to contemporary issues. The irony is undeniable: even as we celebrate progress, we are complicit in cycles of violence and discrimination.
A Wonderful Life challenges the viewer to reconsider the simplicity of its title, urging a deeper, more critical engagement with the world around us.
Nothing At All, 2025
40 x 40cm
Paper collage framed.
(Premium ultra matt art paper prints - 250gsm)
Everything At Once, 2025
40 x 40cm
Paper collage framed.
(Premium ultra matt art paper prints - 250gsm)
A Wonderful Life, 2024
240 x 120 cm
Paper collage on wooden panel.
(Premium ultra matt art paper prints - 250gsm)
Stephen Tierney is an Australian mixed media artist and designer. He creates clean, minimal collages often using just two or three images, taken from vintage magazines, photo journals, and his own photography. He also works with photographers to include original images in his art. Tierney enjoys experimenting with scale and creating interactive experiences, including large installations like the one shown below.
Born in 1976, he grew up in the southern coastal suburbs of Sydney and studied art and design at Sydney Graphics College in 1997. Since 2003, his work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions around the world, including in Mexico, the USA, Japan, and Italy.
After spending several years living in Mexico, he recently returned to Australia with his family. He is an active member of the Sydney Collage Society, regularly taking part in exhibitions, collaborations, and workshops.
Fuera La Oscuridad, 2023
35 x 45cm
Vintage magazines on board.
Somebody’s Knocking At Your Door, 2024
40 x 50cm
Vintage magazines mounted to found street posters.
Hiding All Away, 2024
50 x 50cm
Vintage magazines on board.
Reflected (Reflejadx), 2018
Experiential Installation
Oaxaca, Mexico
(Artworks created using photos by Tanja Bruckner)
This was the second exhibition in an ongoing series, focused on exploring gender. The large-scale works, each measuring 2 by 3 meters, were displayed throughout the main room of Taller Espacio Alternativo—an experimental art and performance space in Oaxaca, Mexico, where Tierney has been living regularly since 2013. Visitors were encouraged to walk among the pieces, touch them, and fully engage with the experience. The goal was to make people feel as if they were stepping inside a collage, or even inside a human body.