“The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.” ~ Philip K. Dick 

Overthink considers how words accumulate meaning through repetition, context and circulation, and how contemporary media environments shape the ways we think, feel and respond. The work takes its title from ‘overthinking’: the heightened sense of anxiety that can emerge through repeated analysis and exposure to competing information. Social media has intensified this experience. Its continuous streams of headlines, commentary and content, driven by systems designed to capture and retain attention, can amplify emotionally charged material and reinforce existing beliefs and biases. 

Within this environment, language is rarely neutral. Words can be repeated, reframed and removed from context, becoming tools for persuasion, engagement, profit and, at times, propaganda. Bishop is interested in the psychological effects of this constant circulation and the increasingly blurred boundary between information, influence and manipulation. Drawing on fonts, lone words and the visual conventions of headline messaging, Bishop uses illuminated advertising signage to explore how the same word can carry markedly different meanings depending on where and how it is used. Suspended as commercial signage, the text is deliberately decontextualised: stripped of punctuation and reference, and pulled apart into consonants and vowels. Bishop slows down the usually instantaneous act of reading, creating space between message and response and encouraging reflection over reaction. 

Content, exhibited on the Umbrella building external wall, extends this enquiry, pointing to the uneasy relationship between language, influence and commodity. 

Presented across two sites at Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts:
The Vault, downstairs 408 Flinders St, Gurambilbarra / Townsville, QLD 4810.
External back wall, Ogden St, Gurambilbarra / Townsville, QLD 4810.
Please note: The Vault is a darkened space with limited accessibility. We apologise that it is is not wheelchair accessible. One staircase leads down to the Vault then there is a step up into the room. Please call Umbrella staff prior to your visit if you would like to discuss your options or to arrange a time to access the exhibition via Umbrella's rear door on Ogden St.

Exhibitions + PUNQ Festival launch
6pm Wednesday 23 September 2026
Free event. | Speeches from approx. 6:30pm | Please note: Umbrella will be closed for install from Monday 7 September until the launch event. | Registration is appreciated but not essential. If you're planning to attend, register your attendance to help us prepare for your visit.

Justin Bishop (b. Mulubinba / Newcastle, 1975) spent his childhood moving regularly as his father served in the RAAF. He is a graduate of University of Southern Queensland (Toowoomba, c.2000), and has since worked in the arts sector in Queensland as both an artist and arts worker. He has been the Director of Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery, Exhibitions Manager at Cairns Art Gallery, and Director of KickArts Contemporary Arts (now NorthSite Contemporary Arts).
Alongside these arts leadership roles and supporting other artists’ practices, Bishop continued to exhibit and follow creative pursuits including playing in bands and organising gigs, recordings and tours. During the pandemic, Bishop transitioned into the signage industry, where its materials and approaches to image-making opened new pathways in his practice, particularly through text-based work. Bishop now considers himself a returning artist, re-engaging with exhibitions and developing work grounded in personal meaning. He currently lives, works and maintains a multidisciplinary practice on Gurambilbarra / Townsville.