WIP: Skull: Part 3

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WIP: Skull: Part 2

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WIP: Skull: Part 1

Caught My Eye: Vikenti Nilin

There was something both unsettling yet fascinating about Vikenti Nilin's 'Neighbours' series in the Saatchi Gallery. Shown as part of the 'Gaiety is the Most Outstanding Feature of the Soviet Union' all the photos have the stereotypical Soviet tower-blocks with anonymous people sat perched on the edge of windowsills. As a viewer the uneasiness comes from the voyeuristic feeling you are spying on a private moment of contemplation, some sitters look unfazed by the drop, almost to the point of boredom, there is an eerie feeling of passivity. 

Presenting a snapshot of time, you are left unaware of the sitters fate, did they simply return inside or did they jump? The images strike up so many questions and bring to mind so many political, personal and empathetical associations, as these people sit physically and metaphorically in the balance.

Matt Saunders // Yanis Avontins

Matt Saunders

Back of a Head [Lilian Harvey] #1

2012

Courtesy of the Artist, Marian Goodman Gallery, Harris Lieberman and Blum & Poe

I saw Matt Saunder's exhibition 'Century Rolls' a couple of months back at Tate Liverpool, and was intrigued at first by the seemingly abstract images, and then by the process behind the work. Fusing painting, drawing and photography together Matt uses his paintings and drawings as negatives to expose work from, resulting in unusual Silver Gelatin Prints. 

The works at first glance appear to consist of abstract swirls of paint and ink - all in a monochrome pallet of greyscale, as your eyes focused you began to notice figures emerge from the murkiness, often the same figure, obscure German film star Lilian Harvey. By using an obscure and forgotten actress as his muse, Saunders plays upon the idea of fleeting celebrity, once the star has burnt they are inevitably replaced and rarely thought of by the mass public again. Just as we never fully see Harvey in the paintings, only fragments, suggestions of the former star, lost in the murky swirls of paint and shadows. The repetition of Harvey's striking silhouette in different images adds to the tragic pathos of trying to remember the same person over and over but the memories never quite coming clear. 

The over-all style of the work is very Film-Noir, there's a real tragic feel to the work, the patterns created with the light sensitive chemicals and paint from the negatives are stunning almost like tear-stained pictures, it was a hauntingly beautiful exhibition!

Photographs from Natpoc

Yanis Avontins @ Saatchi Gallery

Yanis Avontins

I saw Yanis Avontins paintings at the Saatchi Gallery in the 'Gaiety is the Most Outstanding Feature of the Soviet Union' exhibition' and they instantly reminded me of Matt Saunders work. The thinly painted images suggest fading/faded memories, almost ghost-like in appearance, large scale canvas engulf tiny hazy images in the centre, making them seem even more of blur of a forgotten memory.  

Caught My Eye: V&A Museum

Clare Twomey

'Trophy'

I really liked the idea behind Clare's birds:

"Trophy was a new work commissioned by the V&A Museum that played with notions of value, permanence and the culture of collecting. The artist worked in collaboration with Wedgwood to produce 4000 small birds made from Jasper Blue –an historical material created by Wedgwood in the 1800s– that were then displayed throughout the Cast Courts; the concept was to create a unique object for the museum’s collections that would be both beautiful and desirable. Within five hours of opening, the public had stolen each one of the 4000 birds that made up the collection; although they were not formally invited to take the birds home, many followed the behaviour of others in the space."

Dale Chihuly

'V&A Chandelier' 

Danny Lane

Glass Staircase

"Dave"

Caught My Eye: Light Show @ Hayward Gallery

I'd heard lots of good things about the 'Light Show' at the Hayward Gallery so I decided to check it out whilst down there, the ticket price and long queue did initially put me off a little but I'm glad I didn't let those factors dissuade me! The exhibition of course celebrates light artists, which admittedly is showing I know very little about, I was dreading it being filled with ex-Christmas decorations and pretentious neon writings that seem to fill very art fair, but once again my fears were completely unfounded!





Visually the show is both stunning and instantly appealing, it's hard not to be both mesmerized and drawn like moths to Leo Villareal's column of dancing white lights, and Cerith Wyn Evans triple pillars of warm glowing light has the same effect! Conard Shawcross and Katie Paterson's works were other hightlights for me, Anthony McCall's installation seemed to have more impact on me in Tate Liverpool, but I think that could be because I experienced it alone.
Two other artists really stood out to me, Olafur Eliasson's water fountain/strobe light installation 'Model for a Timeless Garden' was both eerie and visually stunning, a definite 'experience' [even if it did hurt my eyes] the flashing lights appeared to slow the water down into crystals performing a rhythmic ballet, which gave the light and water a magical quality.


Olafur Eliasson:

Model for a Timeless Garden
2011




Jim Campbell's installation 'Exploded View [Commuters] was my favourite piece, it was subtle, beautiful and clever...

Jim Campbell:

Exploded View [Commuters]
2011



Jim talking about the Installation: