MIND OUT - Manufactured Space and Constructed Transformations

About

"A space exists when one takes into consideration vectors of direction, velocities, and time variables. Thus space is composed of intersections of  mobile elements. It is in a sense actuated by the ensemble of movements within it. Space occurs as the effect produced by the operations that orient it, situate it, temporalize it, and make it function in a polyvalent unity of conflictual programs or contractual proximities ".  Michel de Certeau

Initially referencing relationships between art and architecture in current art practice, this exhibition aims to examine the imaginative, constructed and performative nature of space and how art works can illuminate the phenomenon not only as subject matter but also by experimenting with unfamiliar modes of display.
  
The audience is invited to enter a ‘treated’ space, both in the works themselves and through the agency of the artists’ speculative presentations of the works in the show and their response to the exhibition space. In this way the show will raise questions about the formal aspects of exhibition making and challenge received ideas of static display. The starting point is an exploration of architectural idiom – the subsequent journey is an ongoing examination of the transformative potential of space.

The nature of space is considered not only as something that changes with the addition or position of the objects/artworks placed within it, but also in relation to the social interaction with these elements of those moving inside it. As such the show will suggest an evolving space, contingent on the activity, orientation and time spent within it of the visiting audience.

Each of the artists in the show rises to the challenge of the potentially fraught introduction of the object/artwork/body into space through an acknowledgment of space itself being integral to the viewing outcome. 

In Lee Marshall`s paintings smooth gradients and vectorised objects vividly suggest a digital yet organic landscape in which exaggerated effects heighten the sense of perspective, bringing a unique physicality to the flat environment of the picture plane. Conversely, in his sculptures Neil Ayling cuts and folds architectural images, looking for ways to restore three-dimensionality to the 2D image. Using photography to capture specific vantage points of architecture he fragments and reassigns the imagery into a new sculptural setting. 

Perhaps acknowledging that all space is mediated space Philip Cornett and Paul Kindersley infiltrate themselves guerilla-like into the formal setting of the gallery, taking full advantage of its neutral embrace to develop a social platform of enquiry regarding the assimilation of queer culture within a neo-liberal, suburban society. Lotusland IV is the latest iteration of this dedicated space that hosts the themes and ideas that the artists will share with the public. This structure within a structure will also host special performance happenings with performance artist Richard Dodwell.

Structural doubling forms part of Marcus Cope`s examination of the construction of memories. Places are re-imagined or re-invented as in the logic of a dream. This sense of place within the boundary of the canvas is enhanced by the sense of occasion in its presentation – fitted flush into a constructed wall as though part of, or projected onto it. Layering is also a feature of Amba Sayal-Bennett`s deconstruction of the common conventions of visual communication in which she creates ‘drawn spaces that fit within dominant symbolic and linguistic structures yet which temporarily suspend their organizing processes’.  A provisional approach to line, colour and shape within her projections emphasizes the shifting nature of space itself.

Luke Burton adopts a contrarian position within our constructed places, in which he plays out a series of personal, impersonal, intimate and estranged interactions with architectural flourish and detail. His films record these playful encounters with the built world, an off-hand `flaneur` nevertheless delighted with, and highly cogniscent of, the modern cityscape and its genesis. A questioning approach also characterizes Minae Kim`s dialogue with location, unearthing and exploring the invisible boundaries that seem to reflect the nature of larger social and cultural systems through site specific installations and interventions. Working predominantly with sculpture and drawing Helen Rousseau is similarly engaged in the articulation of edges and territories in relation to space and the presence of the viewer, and through the processes of making looks for a network of logic particular to the work itself.

Neil Ayling
Luke Burton
Marcus Cope
Minae Kim
Cornett/Kindersley
Lee Marshall
Helen Rousseau
Amba Sayal-Bennett