The Sum of Recent Glories
Chipboard, Plywood, MDF, Steel Acros, 2012
Bread & Circuses pts 1-3
Concrete, Steel, Plywood, Melamine, Wooden Pallet, Halogen Worklight, 2012
Here/Now
Burnt Wood, Digital Print, 2012
Here/Now (Detail, Digital Print)
Photo Courtesy Craig Allan
This Used To Be The Future II
Electro-Luminescent Wire, 2012
Of All We May Yet Be
Welded Steel Rebar, 2012
This is a text that Jen Martin wrote for the catalogue,
Modern life consists of many disposable facets, from everyday
expendable products in unnecessary packaging to the high rises of the 50's and 60's which are being torn down in order to make way for new developments. With the introduction of cheaper, mass produced
materials, construction has become impermanent with many buildings existing only for a fleeting period of time, and those which remain clearly show the evidence of their decay. However, away from the beaten track it is possible to view the remnants of constructions from a time when this was not the case. The work presented in ‘Tomorrow Comes A Day Too Soon’ derives from time spent travelling around Italy and viewing the substantial remains of forgotten settlements and architectural classics. The skill used in the craftsmanship of these structures, in conjunction with the enduring nature of the materials used, is testament to their permanence, far outlasting both their own era and the decaying remains of more modern developments
surrounding them.
‘Tomorrow Comes A Day Too Soon’ seeks to create a facade emulating the grand imagery and craftsmanship displayed in these ancient constructions using modern, temporary materials to reference classic structures such as arches, columns and busts. Don't be fooled by the cheap, readily available substances used, every piece of work displayed here has been crafted with very careful attention to detail and finished to a high quality. Juxtaposing the classic imagery with the disposable material creates a delicate dialogue and highlights the glaring
differences in construction across the ages.
Tex wrote me an essay too but I'll put that up another time as it's quite long.
Anyway, thanks to everyone who helped out,
Sam x
Congrats with the show Sam, looks like a really nice exhibition. Are you pleased with the result? The Gallery looks wonderful too. Really liking the fact it has an inglenook.
ReplyDeleteKit
Cheers Kit, yeah I'm fairly pleased with the show, I think it hangs together pretty well, I've tried a few new things out here. The space is really nice, kind of white cube meets rustic. You should come over & exhibit one day.
ReplyDeleteSam
It's great to see this finally all come together, from sleeping in rafters, then crashing in some sort of studio building a year later to seeing it almost entirely complete last week, well done! Work looks good too better than how I imagined it to be, as in regards of quite large work in a confined space but it works, well according to the photos. How well do you think it went Sam?
ReplyDeleteEL Wire is the material of the moment!
Craig
Like I said to Kit, pretty pleased, could always be better. The welded rebar put a kid flat on her face which wasn't intended. I think cos it's all roughly one body of work you can get away with putting more in a space.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree, EL wire is the fuckin schizz
Awesome!
ReplyDeleteI think space wise it - from the photos anyway - the work doesn't look to confined. If anything I think with it all seemingly a relatable, almost single body of work, that close proximity from one another seems to create a confused border between installation and stand alone sculptural objects which creates a rather pleasing dialouge between it all.
Really liking the aesthetic of the materials too and the performative element to it. Did you exhibit a print of burning HERE/NOW?
Also yes I think I would really rather like to do that! Maybe some point next year?
Kit
Also great text Jen :)
ReplyDeleteKit