I discovered the Czech artist, Kristof Kintera, who makes incredible installations/sculptures using everyday objects. His website includes a vast list of works where one can appreciate how versatile Kintera is at manipulating objects, given them new meanings. The titles are as quirky as the artworks.
My Light is Your Life (model: Shiva Samurai 5kw/50Hz), 2009 / old lamps, cables, electronics / 305 x 230 x 140 cm / unique
I added more work to the series I’ve been working on. Here are the last additions. The whole series can be viewed on my website.
Untitled 2, 2012
Untitled 6, 2012
Untitled 4, 2012
I discovered the artist Jenine Shereos who made a series using human hair to create intricate veined leaves. The hair is stitched on a dissolvable backing revealing these delicate sculptures. Shereos is interested in the parallel between the human vascular system and the plant vascular system. The concepts of growth, decay, and transformation are beautifully explored. I’ve seen artists using human hair to felt and to knit. The artist Mona Hatoum has used hair extensively in her artwork. Last year, I used my own hair as embroidery and thread. It’s always fascinating to see how artists use readily available organic material in their art.
I’ve been working on a series in the studio. I started this project at the end of last year. Here’s the series so far.
Flame in the forest 2011
Today I went to see Ranjani Shettar’s exhibition in the new contemporary space at the NGV International. Shettar is an Indian sculptor who uses a vast array of organic and non-organic materials. ‘Dewdrops and Sunshine’ investigates the relationship of water and light to living things. There are references to the elements as objects are either suspended, on the ground, or pinned. I was immediately drawn to her ability to combine art and science without making it look like biological reference models. What makes it interesting is the meticulous handwork involved in some of the pieces such as Sun-sneezers blow light bubbles 2007-2008, and Touch me not 2006-2007. Sculptures such as Fire in the belly 2007 and Flame of the forest 2011 (shown above) have a more modern and polished appearance with their seamless coloured finish, as opposed to the raw feel of some of the other pieces. Shettar’s use of bulbous shapes remind me of Louise Bourgeois’ sculptures. This exhibition is worth checking out for Shettar’s craftsmanship.
Fiona Estelle Blandford, A Tableau for 2010, 2010
Last Wednesday I attended Seventh Gallery's first opening of the year. The show is curated by the artist Fiona Estelle Blandford and is entitled ‘Traditional artists are priests /contemporary artists are whores’. The exhibition is a group show featuring works of the curator, Blandford, as well as of Angeliki Androutsopoulos, Anita Belia, Kelly Manning and Alice Parker. It is an investigation of the theory of ‘Expanded painting’ and the relationship between the mediums.
I particularly enjoyed the still life photographs of Blandford. I have previously met the artist at Seventh Gallery last month during their Super Sell-Out Sale and Somewhat Silent Action. Lucky me, I left with one of her prints, ‘Fox on the carpet, 2008’! For this show, Blandford’s photographs involve a series of stylised food arrangements shot in studio with a digital Hasselblad. Each print is individually lit and is pinned on black painted walls. This accentuates the contrast of the images making them luminescent. The lighting in each photograph is amazing. The photo series, ‘Still life for 2010’, featuring ‘A tableau for 2010’, explores the political and the historical references of traditional ‘still life’ painting. Having worked as a chef, Blandford’s first hand experience with food enables her to investigate our society’s indulgence and over consumption of ressources.
Fox on the carpet, 2008
I’ve been working with other media in the past few weeks. Here are a few drawings/painting from my visual diary.
pen, acrylic paint
pen, acrylic paint
Last night I attended Rae & Bennett Gallery’s first exhibition of the year. Phuong Ngo's 'After Action Review' is an exhibition which consists of a video and a series of Vietnam War images displayed in light boxes. The video was made by the artist. The selected images came from scanned slides which once belonged to an American soldier who worked along the DMZ during the war. The images document various activities or scenes around the area. I chatted with Ngo who mentioned he started to collect Vietnam War slides, known as his Vietnam Archive Project, which has turned into an obsession to reclaim his history. This exhibition is the first series derived from the Vietnam Archive project.
Being half Vietnamese, I was drawn to this exhibition for its content. In spite of the striking difference between our respective parents’ experiences with the Vietnam war, Ngo and I had one thing in common: understanding where we came from. Ngo’s other series revolve around self, identity, and culture and are worth checking out on his website. Overall, I found the exhibition interesting for the use of archival material as part of a personal ongoing project.
Bruno Walpoth. Melodia trattenuta. Lead sculpture, 88 cm.
I turned up for the pick up and discovered the location was in one of the Gertrude Contemporary Space Studios on the 1st floor. Sanné Mestrom, an artist herself, was the seller and was packing up to move to the country where she’d start a teaching job. The drawers had served her well, she confided. I was amazed at the size of the studio space where evidence of a 2-year residency was scattered around such as various art pieces, sketches, moulds, and other art materials. Mestrom said she had managed to carry the map drawers upstairs with the help of a friend. Together with my man, we took the beast apart, reassembled it on Gertrude street, propped the whole thing on a hand-built square board on wheels and pushed it 400 m back home.
Compression chamber, 2011 - Sanné Mestrom
I had seen the works of Sanné Mestrom at Gertrude Contemporary Space during the exhibition, ‘Octopus 11: A matter of air’. Mestrom’s ‘Compression chamber (2011)’ was displayed and involved various sculptures of equal weight, representing the weight of air in the 5 cubic meter gallery space. I noticed that Mestrom had also exhibited in other shows with 3 of my current university teachers: Kiron Robinson, Sanja Pahoki, and Lou Hubbard. As a contemporary installation artist whose practice is both experimental and conceptual, I find Mestrom’s projects very interesting and diverse. I love the idea of having unexpectedly discovered a local artist. Not only do I finally own a set of map drawers, but there’s also a story behind it.
I recently found a photo of Charlotte Charbonnel’s installation in Hermès magazine. Charbonnel creates sound machines that catch sounds we rarely hear like the noise of the sun. Harp strings, fish wire, hair, gut, kitchen strings, steel cables all converge to a water-filled sphere which sits on the floor. When the strings are touched, sound is amplified throughout the room with sensors. This sounds and looks amazing!
Vibrato con sordino - Charlotte Charbonnel from charlotte charbonnel on Vimeo.
I stumbled through a series of portraits on artisans that Vanessa Winship took for the second issue of Hermès magazine. The portraits were simple head-to-toe style and in black and white. They looked amazing and reminded me of August Sander’s portraits, as well as Diane Arbus’ for the street photography feel her photos have.
It is always interesting to discover a photographer who uses film; it just shows that film isn’t dead yet.
Photo-eye compiled a list of the best books in photography of 2011 recommended by photographers, writers, and publishers. Some of the contributors include Adam Bell, Martin Parr, and Alec Soth to name a few.
There’s plenty of other books recommended depending on your interests.
Chilling out at the cottage (Taken with Instagram at Dromana Beach)
I have just finished reading 'When Marina Abramović Dies: A biography' (2010) written by James Westcott. This book captivated me from the beginning until the end. It’s much more than just a collection of facts about the artist. The book contains Abramović's personal anecdotes as well as the recollections of friends, family, and other artists who have met her. I discovered how Abramović's childhood has had such an impact on her development as an artist. As the grandmother of performance art (as she perceives herself), Abramović managed to create unique pieces that demonstrate her amazing endurance and ability to transcend pain. Westcott covers the different stages of her career in great detail over four decades. The 344 glossy pages include black and white photos of Abramović and her family as well as photos documenting her various performances and other important events over the years.
I was particularly interested to learn how the practice of ascetism greatly influenced Abramović’s performances. I am a big admirer of her work and of her extreme self-discipline and I now have some insight into the fact it is through determination and assiduous working habits that one can achieve a huge amount.
The book is well written and some prior knowledge about the artist’s various performances may be required to fully appreciate the content. What is interesting is how the author situates Abramović in the context of the world of performance happening concurrently. Vito Acconci, Valie Export, & Joseph Beuys were some of the performance artists who were practicing during the same period and are mentioned in the biography.
There is a fair amount of details about Abramović’s private life which can easily quench any celebrity gossip thirst. Nonetheless, Westcott manages to astutely amalgamate facts and trivia without making the content too dry or too light.
This is a great book that can teach you about Abramović as both the artist and a sensitive human being. I recommend it to anyone interested in learning about her artistic process, the challenges, and the personal life of someone who has become a legendary performance artist.
An amazing series where Marjan Teeuwen spends month setting up these installations. Interesting use of space and materials. Here’s more of her series.
I was in Hobart for a few days last week. Besides hanging out at the Salamanca markets, we spent a whole day at MONA. This turned out to be the highlight of the trip! I had heard so much about it, and I couldn’t wait to see it.
The first thing I noticed once I started the tour was the absence of labels identifying the artwork. Everything you wanted to know about the artwork was on the iPod (O device) you were given at the entrance. I thought it was so clever because I had the chance to review pieces at my own leisure and I didn’t have to queue to read up about it.
The whole museum is underground and is very impressive considering its unusual architecture. The content of the museum collection is eclectic and pertains to death, sex, and other thought provoking topics. I was amazed at the variety of artworks from around the world. I recognised pieces from local and international artists such as Marina Abramovic, Jenny Saville, Julia Deville, Ah Xian, Andres Serrano, Boris Mikhailov, to name a few. I found it quite exhilarating seeing a piece in the flesh of some of the artists I admire.
I loved too many pieces but one of my favorites was the video projection, Placebo 2002, by Saskia Olde Wolbers. It involved a woman narrating in the first person singular about what seemed like a dream. The film included abstract white paint drops which were in constant flux while the story was being narrated. The whiteness instilled a clinical purity which suited the story so well.
I can see how some of the artworks can be confronting for some viewers. In a way, it’s no different to our constant exposure to sex and death through the media. We see it everyday, whether we want to or not. It is a choice to set foot at the MONA and I can assure you, not everything is macabre, depressing, and/or offensive. I found some pieces witty and funny. David Walsh is a quirky man just like the artwork he collects.
In retrospect, I don’t think this will be my only visit to MONA.
Very cool temporary installations by Penique Productions, who inspired by Christo and the likes, assemble gigantic plastic balloons which they inflate to line the inside of a chosen space. A temporary monochromatic fantasy land.
via trendland
I saw David-Ashley Kerr's exhibition, Rückenfigur, on its last day at Dear Patti Smith. Kerr and I were part of the same group show, Photography 10A, at the Brunswick Street Gallery back in 2010. I had seen his work at another group show at the Colour Factory this year. Rückenfigur was his first solo show.
The first thing I noticed once I entered the gallery was large-size prints. There were 4 light jet prints of 80x140 cm and 6 chromira prints of 117x200cm, all mounted on foam core. The details in each of Kerr’s photos was amazing. The photos depicted one individual in a contemplative state and set against a vast landscape. The minuscule subject in each photo is practically immersed in the massive landscape. As a viewer, you get lost in the grandeur.
Inspired from the German Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich, we can see how Kerr invites us to take a moment to contemplate the beauty in the world that surrounds us. Having studied German Romanticism, Friedrich’s paintings reflected the notion of the sublime found in nature, as seen through the eyes of a halted subject admiring the scenery. In Kerr’s images, the subjects don’t appear struck by the sublime beauty of nature. Instead, the subjects are part of the landscape and the subject’s minuscule size against the landscape is what makes the whole image breathtaking. Unlike Friedrich’s cold colour palette of the characteristic Germanic landscape, Kerr used the warmer tones that are typical of Australian landscapes. Overall, Kerr successfully managed to depict in a unique manner the natural beauty of Australia.
I was at Beam Contemporary Gallery on Friday to see Clare Rae's exhibition, 'Light Weight'. The series consists of self-portrait shot in broad daylight and explores the link between performance and photography. There were two large light boxes, 100 x 150 cm, which really caught my eye. You almost feel like the artist is performing in the darkened room under a spot light. I liked the minimalist installation of the light boxes in the main space and the 3 smaller prints in the alcove. The combination of performance and photography is something I'll always be drawn to and I think Rae blended the two very well.
