An upcoming exhibition in Christchurch takes poster art from the high street to the High Street Project.

Garage Collections celebrates the work of independent hand-screenprinter Jared Davidson, who's putting Christchurch on the international map with his unique poster art. It features more than 100 hand screenprinted and digital music posters for the likes of Wilco, A Low Hum and Manual Magazine.An upcoming exhibition in Christchurch takes poster art from the high street to the High Street Project.

Garage Collections celebrates the work of independent hand-screenprinter Jared Davidson, who's putting Christchurch on the international map with his unique poster art. It features more than 100 hand screenprinted and digital music posters for the likes of Wilco, A Low Hum and Manual Magazine.Davidson, who started his screen-printing business in his parent's garage in Hei Hei late last year, is being recognised by the gallery for a retrospective of sorts after just one year in business due to the exceptional success of his plucky venture.

After only 12 short months, the Garage Collective boasts an incredible list of international venues and clientele, including: Wilco (USA), The Evens (USA), infamous LA venue The Knitting Factory, A Low Hum Tours (NZ), Manual Magazine (NZ), Stink Magnetic (AUS), The Damned Evangelist (LYTTELTON), The Tiger Tones (CHCH), Minuit (AUS), So So Modern (WGTN), Disasteradio (WGTN), Frase + Bri (CHCH), Ladi6 (AK), Pine (CHCH), Trans Am (AK), Mestar (DN), and many more.

By combining his interests in music and design, Davidson has carved out a niche for himself, creating shiningly beautiful, limited edition posters, in a resolutely D.I.Y punk fashion. His hand screen printed posters for music, art and political events are becoming so sought after he's finding it hard to keep up with demand.

"To see how far GC has come in the span of a year is really humbling," says Davidson. "The plan was to get this thing up and as a full-time practice, both for myself, and the independent music scene here in Christchurch and New Zealand. I had no idea that I would reach that goal, and exceed it, as soon as I have!"

Judith Carnaby from the High Street Project says, "The HSP is passionate about supporting an exhibition so broadly relevant to the Christchurch art and music communities. By bringing street-based posters and music influences into the HSP gallery we believe this exhibition will encourage dialogue between artists, musicians and designers, and hopefully will cause a bit of mischief as well."

A graduate of Canterbury University's School of Fine Arts Design Department, Davidson initially learnt screen-printing from Lyttelton based design lecturer Luke Wood.

His entire workshop (in his parent's garage in Hei Hei) had to be created from scratch as no one in New Zealand had constructed a similar sized set-up before.

Short of some introductory instruction from his design lecturer at Ilam School of Fine Arts, his mastery of the medium is largely due to hours and hours of bloody-minded experimentation and practice.

When: 24 August - 8 September 2007
The opening event will be held at 6pm on 24 August with DJ The Tone Ranger.
Where: The High Street Project, Level 1, 140A Lichfield St, Christchurch

20/8/07