I thoroughly enjoyed this exhibition and have picked out a few of the drawings to comment on.
The winner of this years Jerwood Drawing prize was Solveig Settemsdal with a piece called 'Singularity' Click Here to Link to an excerpt from the video on the artist's website
The work is a video installation of white ink in gelatin of 9 minutes 27 seconds in duration. It is mesmeric. I usually find I want to walk away from video installations quite rapidly but this one drew me in and I lingered to watch it. The artist puts white ink into the gelatin and manipulates it on the opposite surface to the camera - so the action of the artist is only seen as movement of the ink.
The suspension of the ink in the gelatin made it seem almost trapped. Vigorous movements were made and thus white lines were created in the three dimensional matrix making a constantly evolving form. The movements make the amorphous blob of ink look like something organic - a creature trying to escape from being trapped in the sticky gelatin. It also brought back to me memories of a film I recently saw called 'Under the Skin'. In the film an alien disguised as a beautiful young woman (Scarlet Johannsen) hunts her prey in Scotland. The prey are men who are lured in and end up suspended alive in a sticky gel while they are slowly digested. Quite a disturbing memory for this piece of work to evoke! However, despite these rather creepy associations in my mind, I found the three dimensional patterns of the white ink suspended in the gel very aesthetically pleasing and somewhat reminiscent of glass paperweights.
At the end of the video sequence, the white ink appears to be sucked out of the gelatin into a black hole which fits along with the astronomical reference of the singularity.
This is what the catalogue says about the piece:
' A point appears in a perceived void. Slowly expanding, it's articulation grow increasingly deliberate; lines are created, crossed and bisected. The form is never still, never sets. Singularity explores a temporal and sculptural process of drawing in a fluid three dimensional space through the suspension of ink in cubes of gelatin. In constant transformation, the white mineral ink and the biological gelatin lattice initiate a balance between conscious intention and unconscious material process.'
I think that 'Singularity' is a truly deserving winner of the Jerwood Drawing Prize.
Two other works that evoked an emotional response in that they both made me do a 'double take' were 'Unsolemn Rituals' Amelie Barnathan and David Gardner's untitled piece.
'Unsolemn rituals' was a winner of the student awards this year. It is a large scale drawing measuring 60-475cm executed in watercolour, coloured pen and acrylic ink. At first glance with its colour scheme of reds, baby pinks and lilacs and its illustrative style it looks like something that might be suitable for a children's book - however the subject matter is more disturbing. The interplay of the sugary pink colour and drawing style with the subject matter gave me jolt.
Click here to link to an image of a section of the drawing
Click here to link to an image of a section of the drawing
The drawing depicts young girls or women in various activities. They are pierced by arrows, they cut each other, serpents emerge from their vaginas, There is a pile of apparently dead young females emerging from the hollow of a tree. There is bondage and violence and a pool of red liquid (menstrual blood?). All of the people in the drawing are female. Some of the images are bizarre and nightmarish. I thought this drawing was about female sexuality and the nightmares of adolescence and coming of age. It was quite uncomfortable to look at. In fact the piece is about mass psychogenic illness. Here is what the artist says about it:
'My project is a study of mass psychogenic illness (MPI), a modern phenomenon of hysteria characterised by more than one person spontaneously developing hysterical physical and emotional symptoms. Cases of MPI are predominantly found in groups of pre teens and predominantly occur in segregated and secluded spaces like boarding schools.
Symptoms include twitching, fainting, and other neurological symptoms. the schoolgirls present in my drawings evoke the ecstatic rituals of the Maenads madwoman of Ancient Greece, to the processions and Sabbaths of the witches. My work investigates the nuances of the female collective and the pressures of conforming in social environments. It explores female identity and sexuality, its common psyche set in adolescence with the different types of illnesses and disorders that can occur at that age.'
David Gardner's untitled work gave me similar jolt but for different reasons although I found the work ultimately somewhat less interesting that that of Amelie Barnathan's work (perhaps because I am female).This is a relatively large drawing 120 by 126.5cm in coloured pencil on paper. As I walk around galleries I often get very close to to the drawings to try to see how they are made before I step back to get an overview. In this case I was looking very closely at the coloured pencil shapes which appeared to be very finely burnished. It wasn't until I stepped back that I realised that the shapes I'd been examining closely were phallic symbols some of which were shown ejaculating. I had an automatic reaction of distaste which may have been what the artist was aiming for. There were also various other graphic style drawings on the paper including a smiley face so looking very much like graffiti or doodles on a school exercise book.
This is what the artist says about it:
'I'm interested in how an idea behind a symbol can change completely over time. The Ancient Greeks and the Romans celebrated the image of the phallus, believing that it kept away the evil eye. It was adorned all over their cities. Today the image is loaded very differently, mostly avoided and hidden behind prudish embarrassment. However, we are all enticed by this image - even as school kids, we scribbled it on walls and textbooks.Through a simple line, we have communicated ideas about the phallus over 2000 (plus) years - my work seeks a dialogue between the ages.'
Despite this worthy aim, I can't help feeling repelled by the image (I am a clearly a product of my time and Victorian prudishness is an involuntary reaction!). However I also get the feeling that this isn't in fact really pushing any boundaries as the phallus is a recurring theme over the centuries.
I am interested in different techniques of mark making so I spent quite some time looking at Helen Thomas's Eight Day Draw No. 1 with my nose very close to the paper, trying to work out how it was made. This is a very large scale drawing 150 x 238cm in graphite on paper. The drawing is dynamic with vigorous mark making. I looks as though a variety of graphite materials have been used including graphite sticks, graphite powder and water soluble graphite. There is also evidence of erasure and restatement. I love the energy of the mark making in this drawing.. The drawing seems to be based on natural forms and plant life I then read the entry in the catalogue by the artist:
'Eight day draw No.1 is one of two large scale drawings that are the result of a self initiated, time based drawing project that took place over eight days in March 2016. The materials are graphite powder, 0.5mm propelling pencil, various pencils, graphite sticks and erasers on paper. The exploratory and cumulative drawing process involved a series of exercises including: Marks informed by sketches made on the walk to the studio, drawing left handed, increasing and decreasing scale, lines spanning the paper etc.'
While we are on the subject of mark making I would also like to mention Richard McVetis' drawings. There are at the opposite end of the scale from Helen Thomas's work. I am attracted to Helen's work because of the energy of the mark making and I am attracted to McVetis' drawings for the opposite reason. They are small and quiet pieces and I can imaging myself going through the process of making something like these as a meditative process. I find repetitive mark making a soothing activity. The drawings consist of a square and a rectangle created in ink on squared paper. They are created from tiny marks made very close together to give an irregular density and a feeling of texture. McVetis says:
'My work reflects a preoccupation with the repetitive nature of process, exploring the subtle differences that emerge through ritualistic and habitual mark making. In addition, the mapping of space and marking time and form are central themes. Ideas are often developed in response to, or created specifically to a moment. The drawings created explore how objects, materials and places, through the action of hands, bare (sic) witness to the passing of time.'
Click Here to view one of McVetsis' drawings
Jade Chorkulab's video combined the audio of people being interviewed about what they would do if they only had an hour to live with real time rapid line drawings representing their answers alongside. This was a simple idea but quite compelling. Click here to view a still from the video . The artist herself is Thai and the work is a reflection of Buddhist philosophy that by preparing for death by meditation to reduce earthly attachments we can approach death with equanimity - without anxiety or an unquiet mind.
Rachel Bacon's 'Emotional Landscape' looks like a beaten and manipulated piece of metal from a distance because of hits shiny surface scored with black lines. In fact this work is composed of a crumpled and scored piece of paper which has been intensively covered with graphite. The thickly covered paper thus takes on a metallic sheen. By working in such a fastidious and prolonged manner on crumpled paper - something that would normally discarded, she transforms it into something that resembles a more valuable commodity (metal) and it becomes a piece of work worthy of display in a gallery. Her work therefore plays with the idea of what is valuable and what is not.
David Gardner's untitled work gave me similar jolt but for different reasons although I found the work ultimately somewhat less interesting that that of Amelie Barnathan's work (perhaps because I am female).This is a relatively large drawing 120 by 126.5cm in coloured pencil on paper. As I walk around galleries I often get very close to to the drawings to try to see how they are made before I step back to get an overview. In this case I was looking very closely at the coloured pencil shapes which appeared to be very finely burnished. It wasn't until I stepped back that I realised that the shapes I'd been examining closely were phallic symbols some of which were shown ejaculating. I had an automatic reaction of distaste which may have been what the artist was aiming for. There were also various other graphic style drawings on the paper including a smiley face so looking very much like graffiti or doodles on a school exercise book.
This is what the artist says about it:
'I'm interested in how an idea behind a symbol can change completely over time. The Ancient Greeks and the Romans celebrated the image of the phallus, believing that it kept away the evil eye. It was adorned all over their cities. Today the image is loaded very differently, mostly avoided and hidden behind prudish embarrassment. However, we are all enticed by this image - even as school kids, we scribbled it on walls and textbooks.Through a simple line, we have communicated ideas about the phallus over 2000 (plus) years - my work seeks a dialogue between the ages.'
Despite this worthy aim, I can't help feeling repelled by the image (I am a clearly a product of my time and Victorian prudishness is an involuntary reaction!). However I also get the feeling that this isn't in fact really pushing any boundaries as the phallus is a recurring theme over the centuries.
I am interested in different techniques of mark making so I spent quite some time looking at Helen Thomas's Eight Day Draw No. 1 with my nose very close to the paper, trying to work out how it was made. This is a very large scale drawing 150 x 238cm in graphite on paper. The drawing is dynamic with vigorous mark making. I looks as though a variety of graphite materials have been used including graphite sticks, graphite powder and water soluble graphite. There is also evidence of erasure and restatement. I love the energy of the mark making in this drawing.. The drawing seems to be based on natural forms and plant life I then read the entry in the catalogue by the artist:
'Eight day draw No.1 is one of two large scale drawings that are the result of a self initiated, time based drawing project that took place over eight days in March 2016. The materials are graphite powder, 0.5mm propelling pencil, various pencils, graphite sticks and erasers on paper. The exploratory and cumulative drawing process involved a series of exercises including: Marks informed by sketches made on the walk to the studio, drawing left handed, increasing and decreasing scale, lines spanning the paper etc.'
While we are on the subject of mark making I would also like to mention Richard McVetis' drawings. There are at the opposite end of the scale from Helen Thomas's work. I am attracted to Helen's work because of the energy of the mark making and I am attracted to McVetis' drawings for the opposite reason. They are small and quiet pieces and I can imaging myself going through the process of making something like these as a meditative process. I find repetitive mark making a soothing activity. The drawings consist of a square and a rectangle created in ink on squared paper. They are created from tiny marks made very close together to give an irregular density and a feeling of texture. McVetis says:
'My work reflects a preoccupation with the repetitive nature of process, exploring the subtle differences that emerge through ritualistic and habitual mark making. In addition, the mapping of space and marking time and form are central themes. Ideas are often developed in response to, or created specifically to a moment. The drawings created explore how objects, materials and places, through the action of hands, bare (sic) witness to the passing of time.'
Click Here to view one of McVetsis' drawings
Jade Chorkulab's video combined the audio of people being interviewed about what they would do if they only had an hour to live with real time rapid line drawings representing their answers alongside. This was a simple idea but quite compelling. Click here to view a still from the video . The artist herself is Thai and the work is a reflection of Buddhist philosophy that by preparing for death by meditation to reduce earthly attachments we can approach death with equanimity - without anxiety or an unquiet mind.
Rachel Bacon's 'Emotional Landscape' looks like a beaten and manipulated piece of metal from a distance because of hits shiny surface scored with black lines. In fact this work is composed of a crumpled and scored piece of paper which has been intensively covered with graphite. The thickly covered paper thus takes on a metallic sheen. By working in such a fastidious and prolonged manner on crumpled paper - something that would normally discarded, she transforms it into something that resembles a more valuable commodity (metal) and it becomes a piece of work worthy of display in a gallery. Her work therefore plays with the idea of what is valuable and what is not.
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