Australian painter Hugh Ford’s way with humour is a rare treat in the, at times, serious-faced world of fine art. His diagram-like works evoke the spirit of a dated self-help manual where everything seems perfect, except for the creeping, uneasy normalness of the events they depict. And so “World Thumbwrestling Championship Title Fight” might beg the question why Ford would spend time reproducing such an image. Likewise, the work – “A Real F—king Big Sandwich” might sound obvious. But to make the obvious feel unusual, is no simple task.
Iain Dawson Gallery, 443 Oxford Street, Paddington. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10.00-18.00. Until 24 March.