Of this Event, I cannot foresee the end, exhibition. 1.03.12 – 01.04.12
•February 22, 2012 • 2 Comments
Of this Event, I cannot foresee the end catalogue.
Of this Event, I cannot foresee the end.
Forman’s Smokehouse Gallery presents Of this Event, I cannot foresee the end – an exhibition of video art and installations.
Private view: Thursday 1st March 6-9pm
Exhibition runs 2nd March-1st April 2012, Thu-Fri 5 – 9pm, Sat-Sun 12-5pm
The artists featured in the show Of this Event, I cannot foresee the end. appropriate approaches from scientists in order to gain insights, accumulate data or choose their observational vantage point. By defining a framework wherein a staged experiment or observed action can take place, they test the boundaries of our earthly existence, everyday life, human psychology and patterns of social behaviour.
The video works on show are documents of events or experiments where the outcomes have been unknown even to the artists. A distanced camera witnesses and frames the performance wherein chance and failure play part. But the video works go beyond mere documentation demanding independence from the prior performance and share the element of suspense, surprise and humour.
A second strand of the show transfers the experiment to the virtual realm with chance, sound and interactivity to shape the virtual reality in real time.
In new commissions the experiment will take place at the gallery.
Artists:
Memo Akten ● Sophie Clements ● Callum Cooper ● George Eksts ● Kris Emmerson ● Samuel Levack and Jennifer Lewandowski ● Santiago Ortega ● Clifford Sage ● David Sherry ● James Stringer ● Anais Tondeur ● Helen Turner ● Pablo Wendel ● der Warst (Simon Schäfer)
Audio visual performances at the opening night:
der Warst (Simon Schäfer)
Brood Ma (Quantum Natives)
DJ Tesco (Quantum Natives).
Curated by Carmen Billows
Phantasmagoria: Interview with Computer Arts Magazine.
•January 27, 2012 • 1 Comment
1) I read the thesis of the show in the press release you sent out and it seems a little baffling – can you break down the theme of the show a little bit for me, and the kind of art people are likely to see at Phantasmagoria?
Well we want to comment on advertising using meaningful and symbolic art to sell and promote products. The concern with this is that in order for capitalism to work, people have to keep buying new things, so commodities have to be disposable things but at the same time appeal to a society that demands meaningful objects. When consumers discover their items to be void of authenticity they will seek something new. Art that is a counter reaction to consumer culture is too often used by the same culture it is challenging and is usually distorted. The art in the exhibition will be a mix of satire, the grotesque, street art, pop art and low-brow illustration.
2) Our readership are mainly graphic designers and illustrators – what do you think that audience will get out of attending?
It would hopefully raise awareness about this issue and inform graphic designers and illustrators. Creatives working in consumer advertising, in my opinion, should consider what they are referencing more, research the cultures they are drawing from more appropriately, and not distort or abuse meaningful visual information that owes itself to history and social cultures. Hopefully the exhibition concept and the artist’s work will inspire some interesting debate amongst creatives, it will also be a really good night of drinks and good vibes.
3) Tell us a little more about Jon Burgerman, Boicut and Shin – why did you choose to ask them to contribute and how does their work link in with the theme of Phantasmagoria? For example what sort of statements or creative methods go into their pieces so as to tie them to the rest of the artwork on show?
Each of the artists in question are great entrepreneurs as well as artists. It is very exciting to see many artists like them evolving to the world of visual language and doing what they have to do to survive as independent creatives. To me they are a bit like pastiches of consumer culture though and the low-brow visual world we experience each day. Their work is really sophisticated and hand made and they use mass consumer techniques to expand their empires if you like. I think there is a lot to be understood about the state of contemporary art through how they are approaching being artists.
4) What are some of the other interesting pieces people can see?
James Unsworth’s “Most Beautiful Suicide” depicts dead 23-year old Evelyn McHale. She jumped to her death from the 86th floor of the Empire State Building in 1947. The picture deceives viewers by appearing to be something it is not.
Andrew James Jones’ “Crying” is typical of his usual work. It is disturbing, weird and also very funny.
Braziliality late at the V&A, Fri 27th Feb 2012 and video from Hackney Wicked 2011.
•January 26, 2012 • Leave a Comment
Phantasmagoria: P.V. 9th Feb, 6-9pm
•January 23, 2012 • 1 Comment
Press Release
The title for the exhibition, Phantasmagoria will be themed around the ongoing cycles of sub-cultures and counter cultures, their art, and it’s eventual fuelling of canons of mass assimilation by fashion and media to the point of vulgarity and its serendipitous decaying of objective and social meaning in tribal and underground arts.
In 1990 a relatively unknown Canadian essayist Gail Faurschou wrote about fashion’s “ingenious strategy of expansion.” As more artistic raw material that challenges corporate consumerism is made, the more marketable material corporations have to advertise its products. This systematic diffusion of any opposition continues to effectively dissolve and quash any of its subject’s capacity for growth and maturity.
The demand and desire for the “New” results in a Phantasmagoria of commercial imagery.
In the 1980’s Nike launched a commercial campaign, using the Beatle’s 1960’s “Revolution,” which resulted in a legal battle to stop the corporations use of material that they once feared inspired a generation of demonstrations against it.
Andrew James, James Unsworth, Anwot, Isaac Cordal, Martin Wollerstam, Jon Burgerman, Shin Tanaka, Rebecca Strickson, David Shillinglaw, Agent Provocateur, Todd Ryan White, Roman Klonek, Otto Schade, Oliver Winconek, Dave Anderson and Boicut.
