'We need to talk' : Brisbane artists explain themselves Beginning on Thursday 10 August at 6pm, Institute of Modern Art. Interactive Play - Van Sowerwines. Other artists speaking at a later date include Jemima Wyman, Michael Zavros, Grant Stevens, Anne Wallace and Vernon Ah Kee will be discussing their art practices. James Dodd: Mo Destiny 4-25 August, Wednesday to Saturday 11am - 5pm, Black Lab Gallery This solo exhibition continues Adelaide-raised, Melbourne-based artist James Dodd's exploration of text, advertising, urban culture and stencil medium. This body of work is somewhat a show of essence; references resolved to become only a small number of visual elements. Dodd has used this restriction to create paintings, which are powerful both individually and as a group. The show consists of paintings executed in florescent sunset colours and black, echoing the palette of rock'n'roll bill posters. The text depicts images of Australian social history, international politics and rock'n'roll. The punk, horror font employed by the artist also gives a sense of the words being scrawled loosely, as if found on a toilet door or sprayed in social disdain on some mildly public corner. The dense install of the work creates a sense of immersion, a warm glow belying the dark nature and nasty accusations of the writing on the wall. Please visit the SOOB website for more information www.straightoutofbrisbane.com (Blurb taken from SOOB program)