THE high-stakes world of cryptocurrency is the theme of artist Darren McCrae’s latest exhibition in Tanunda as part of the SALA Festival.

Freedom in the Crypto Forest combines traditional and contemporary decorative application, techniques, and materials to “show their underlying philosophies and connection to the landscape”.

“By using the cryptocurrency theme, I am creating a link with our emerging future which is changing our world and our understanding of our place therein,” McCrae said.

“As a decorator, marks like runs, drips, stains, splats, and splashes are generally eliminated, but as an artist these become my true tools of expression.

“I am continuously inspired by the mark-making information that I gather from my day-to-day experiences and the process this inspires.

“With these works my aim is to pay attention to the bucket – a tool of many uses.”

McCrae is known for having run art galleries and workshops for many years at Broken Hill, Robe, Woodville and Tanunda.

Last year, he was accepted by the Founder Institute Adelaide division – a Silicon Valley start-up company – at Lot Fourteen in Adelaide to create a start-up company, a decentralised art registry and online gallery named KULCHA to help all artists to create provenance for their work moving into the digital world.

This year he created a joint venture and formed Artreum, a blockchain initiative to help art projects on a world scale and pioneer the tokenisation of cryptocurrency.

McCrae has also enjoyed notoriety from his music as a singer-songwriter and performer, including songs such as The Real Deal, Grand Final, and On Anzac Day, which have been played on ABC radio and public and community radio stations.

Freedom in the Crypto Forest is on display at Greenock Estate, 12 Basedow Road, Tanunda, from 10am to 3pm, for the rest of the month.