Gnasher Mongrel is a sculptural proposition modeled after William Blake’s Nebuchadnezzar (1795c-1805) referencing, of course, the arrogant Babylonian king who went mad and wild; ‘here crawleth the man-beast, eating grass like oxen’. Beyond that, it’s a thought experiment anticipating significance in the contemporary return of such a beast, extracted from the obscurity of history or myth or even moral narrative.

​

Needham’s practice combines drawing, object-making and sculptural installation, often responding to site specificity and relevant cultural contexts. His work broadly explores myth, belief and residual melancholia in the contemporary psyche, recurrently focussing on uncanny sensibilities around mimicry and memorialisation. Needham has shown nationally and internationally in numerous group and solo exhibitions. He has a BFA + (Hons) from Monash University (2002), and PhD (Fine Art) from the Australian Catholic University (2010). Needham lives and works in Kyneton/Melbourne.