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Contact us Published: July 1. 2010 08:22AM
Controversial? Yes – but a truly groundbreaking show A review by Charles Zuill
The Bermuda National Gallery Biennials have always been contentious and this year's Biennial is no exception. If anything it is even more controversial. Of the 71 artists who submitted work for consideration, only 20 made the cut. Some very well known and skillful artists were eliminated.
The jurors, Veerle Poupeye and Tumelo Mosaka, in describing how Body & Soul they made their selections, said that Shipping although they recognised that many Young Observer Religion local artists are highly accomplished, much of what is Classifieds Classified produced is all-too-comfortable. They felt compelled to move beyond Community the typical "Island aesthetic" and Weather Bermuda Calendar focused on work that departs from Kavin Morris, although aware of and to some extent impacted by such artists as Keith Links the safe position they detected in Haring or Jackson Pollock, has still been able Newspaper much that was submitted. They said to maintain his particular identity. Photo by Glenn Tucker Services that not to have done so, would About Us have encouraged stagnation. Weekly
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Related stories > Controversial? Yes – but From reading the Jurors Forward, I understand that they are not denying a truly groundbreaking the place of skill and craftsmanship in art, but that true creativity show:: demands much more. Many in the local art community have allowed themselves to get stuck in the rut of conformity and commercialism. 'Greater heights of There is a sameness to what they do and as Gareth Finighan said in a artistic exploration':: recent article: "going to exhibitions can end up being tiresome". Indeed, some very accomplished artists have resorted to painting by a formula, that they think will stand a good chance of selling. As a result, their work has not changed appreciatively in many years, except in some cases, it has actually gone backward.
Ninth Bacardi Biennial set to open on June 18:: The Charman Prize is a significant award::
The jurors, in making their choices, centred their attention, instead, on Show could have been the exploratory and creative. They said that this was the main criterion of more 'gritty', less 'pretty' their selection process, the creative being defined as the ability to Diversity, excellence at the generate original ideas and take them from thought to reality. Biennial At this junction, you should know that I am in the Biennial. Beyond saying that, any further comment about my own work would be inappropriate, I will point out however, that after the jurying, it took a week or more before I found out about the results. I think it was much the same with all the other applicants. For varying reasons, I was convinced that I had been unsuccessful and so was surprised when my work was selected. I say this to tell you that I had already begun processing the possibility of being eliminated. In trying to be honest with myself, I had to admit that no matter what, I had the utmost respect for the jury, as well as the BNG. I also understood that, no matter my previous involvement in the BNG, the administration was duty bound to honour the decisions of the jury and to do otherwise would completely discredit the institution. I was determined therefore to learn as much as I could from their decisions, so that, if possible, I could become a better, more creative artist.
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In the business of art you have to develop toughness. To have one's work rejected is hard to take, but if we artists are ever to make it in the art world, we will have get used to the possibility of rejection and no matter what, persist in our artistic goals. In the words of Churchill, "never give up". Regarding the jurying of art: I know that some are opposed to the process, but if we are serious about improving the quality of art in Bermuda, I know of no other way, that is as effective in setting a challenge, that some, at least, will strive to reach or surpass. It is not unlike the process of selection for the Olympic Games, and what about all the examinations we have to take in school? Based upon these, some earn scholarships and get admitted to university, while others are eliminated. In the last 20 years or so, the scope and quality of art in Bermuda has improved enormously and I am certain that the Biennials have played an important role in this development. It should be underscored, however, that jurying has been an integral part of that process. There are also needs for unjuried shows, especially for those just starting out in art, but the various associations such as the Bermuda Arts Centre at Dockyard or BSoA, provide for that necessity. This year's Biennial is, by far and away, the best yet. In the past, there were always a few works in the show that did not meet what I thought should be the the exhibition's high bar. That is not the case with this exhibition. There is an overall cohesiveness to the show, not so much in style, as in inventiveness and originality, as well as skill. Part of the picture, also, is the thoughtful and imaginative way the exhibition has been arranged by curator, Sophie Cressell and her assistant, Will Collieson. As for this Biennial, now that the art is up on the walls and open to the public, I can say that in no previous Biennial, were there such out-sized works of art, as are being currently shown in the Main Gallery, indeed, John Gardner's 'After the Party' is so large, it takes up almost the entire east wall of the Main Gallery and Graham Foster's 'Seas of Europa' is of comparable size. Other large pieces are N. Christina Hutchings' 'Map of Bermuda' or Will Collieson's 'From the Outside Looking In'. When developing an art concept, size is always a consideration. Some concepts demand the monumental, others are better small. One is not necessarily better than the other, however, the dictates of the concept will impose themselves on the work, including the appropriate size and if the artist is sensitive to these demands, so much the better. It is as if we artists are mere conduits, through which art is manifested. We learn by listening to the muse. Traditionally, monumental art was reserved for religious episodes, great historical events or important people. Only in the the 19th century with the likes of Courbet and his brand of realism, did ordinary happenings get depicted large. This trend to bigness continued throughout the 12th century, notably Picasso's 'Guernica' or the paintings of Jackson Pollock and other members of the New York school of Abstract Expressionism. Monumental art is, however, new to the BNG Biennial. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in future exhibitions. The impressive John Gardner piece is a pop-art like construction that consists of a hundred birthday cakes, all made of Bermuda stone and iced with plaster. These sit on circular shelves that are attached to a number of plywood panels. Since the cakes sit out from the panels, the various lights that illuminate the work, cast fascinating shadows on the background, creating a rhythmic interplay between cakes and shadows. From talking with John Gardner, I understand that the shadows were not an intentional part of the original concept, but one that he now accepts as important to the work. This work recalls the pop-art sculptures of Claes Oldenburg, who typically, created soft sculptures of things that are hard,
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for example, a toilet, whereas, if initially soft, as is a cake, his interpretation utilised something hard. By contrast, around the corner on the south wall, hangs N. Christina Hutchings' 'Map of Bermuda'. Although large, it is certainly more modest, than its neighbours, being only 60 x 100 inches. Despite the title, there is nothing in the painting resembling a typical map of the Island. [JUMP]The dark blue ground and criss-cross white lines, brings to mind, antique nautical maps, however. Its pink border provides a buffer between the central image and the wall, while its presentation is notably contemporary, in that it is exhibited without a frame or stretcher. It is simply fastened to the wall with tacks. I am intrigued by the unusual materials used in making a work of such a large size. It is painted with gouache on paper, along with other materials, such as string, ruler and pencil. Navigators utilise measurements, thus the ruler, which symbolises all the necessary computations used in determining the location of a ship or for that matter, an aeroplane. As for the use of pencil; all the many lines are drawn in white pencil on the blue gouache ground. Graham Foster's large, colourful, swirling, mobile-like composition, brings together 38 cutout fish, boats and people, all hung on wires, in varying layers and differing heights, from floor to ceiling. In one instance, a large fish has swallowed a person, the likes of which, can be seen, x-ray like, in the fish's belly. This momentous work takes Bermudian art in a new direction, not only because of its size and complexity of cutouts, but also because of its kinetic aspects. Still along the south wall, Scott Hill's untitled photograph of several roundish objects is also on the large side, its dimensions being 66 x 44 inches. This apparently abstract composition is actually the combination of two separate picture that divides across the middle with a strong black line. Although on first viewing, the composition seems simple enough, it is actually complex, in that the artist is playing with visual perception. The middle dividing line not only separates the upper compartment from the lower, it also appears to bend each compartment inward, so that the black line is perceived as nearest the viewer. The dark, soft focused mass protruding above this black line, is an important device in perceiving its dimensionality. In this case, the photographer effectively utilised depth of field, to create the illusion. Some may be puzzled by this picture's possible meaning, but perhaps we need to let that go and just accept and enjoy its being. Often when out in nature, we come across formations that seem inexplicable, yet we have no difficulty appreciating them, even without knowing how they came into being. Other then what I have suggested regarding visual perception, no other message is, it seems, intended. Will Collieson's assemblage of found materials, is a continuation of a work he began last year. It seems that it began with the discovery of an old wall within a building that was being demolished and by last summer, the artist was ready enough to exhibit it. Since then, however, he has continued to work on it, resulting in the current version. Already, however, he is planning additional extensions. Unless someone buys it, thus stopping the process, who know where it will end up. Since the original wall was found with a window, that was too good a discovery, not to retain, hence the title, 'From the Outside Looking In'. While still in the Main Gallery, there are two other notable works, an installation by Katherine Harriott and a performance piece by Michael Walsh. Regarding the Harriott piece: I have referred to it as an installation, others consider it a sculpture, but to Ms Harriott, that is relatively unimportant. She is more concerned about the message the work conveys, which is her view of marriage. The Biennial piece is called 'The Ties That Bind'. The Michael Walsh performance piece recalls the recent performance retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art of the work of Marina Abramovic. In one performance, a visiter sits across from the Ms
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Abramovic, a table between them, each staring at one another. In the Walsh performance, the visiter also sits across from the artist, however it does involve a conversation. His is called 'Love, 1 Cent'. There is one other big, very big work in the Biennial. It is so big, the entire Watlington Room is devoted to exhibiting it. I refer again to Michael Walsh, but in this instance, his impressive corrugated cardboard sculptural group that resembles five giant Russian matryoshka or nesting dolls. The title of the group is 'Evoking Nothing'. This sculpture is a good example of the creative recycling of discarded stuff, that otherwise, would end up in the incinerator. In contrast to bigness, much of the Biennial is on the more modest side and in the case of Louisa Bermingham Flannery's 'Hairy Bear' series; they are tiny. In these she explores the ramifications of hair, including taboos and prejudices. Until recent years, photography was regarded as something other than art. It is therefore significant that nearly half the current Biennial consists of photography in some form or another. In addition to those of Scott Hill, I note the Helmut Sculpture of James Cooper or the three photographs by Meredith Andrews, especially her gridded Guards or Walls, but also the wonderfully textured back view of Johnny Barnes. Charlie Godet Thomas's black and white photos invoke aspects of time and transition. He states that his is an exploration of the dichotomy between personal experience and its presentation to the public. Mostly they have a snapshot quality, that conjures vague, dream-like memories that are reinforced by means of an accompanying, monotone, female voice. Antoine Hunt continues his investigation of the cyanotype with his series of bottle pictures, within which are found various objects, including, in one instance, a nude figure. For the Biennial, he is showing three from the series and each is numbered and entitled 'Pickled'. Also, all three are the same size and apparently depict the same bottle. They are exhibited as a triptych. Ian Macdonald-Smith is exhibiting two reflection photographs, that were shown last month at the BSoA. I wrote a review about them at that time, but furthermore, since his catalogue statement says that any comment would dilute the imagery. I will refrain from further pronouncements. Alan C. Smith utilises digital photographic imagery, but with a difference. By means of the computer, he creates collage-like images that combine varying elements that are, as he claims, autobiographical metaphorical and inspired by poetry. Given the poetic nature of these creations, it should not be surprising that all three contributions have been given intriguing titles. They are: 'Lucifer: The Burning Key', 'Survivor of the Flood' and 'Angel G: Manifestation'. At last A Bill Ming in the Biennial. His 'Hands Across Da Table (Pass it On)' is placed in a position of honour, right across from the entrance, within the gallery's "arch of triumph". This particular work is a combination of painting and relief sculpture and depicts a group of three people, sitting around a table, partaking of food. Each face is surrounded by a picture frame, which brings to mind the saintly halos found in medieval icons. In keeping with the title, hands are extended across the table in both directions. The symbolic meaning of that gesture is notable for inclusiveness. Sunell Lombard's caricatures of human foibles are reminiscent of Daumier, the French, 19th century artist and in her depictions, Bermudians are not spared. In her 'Bus Slaves', she has observed the way we locals go about our business in public, including cellphone use, as if we were in the inner sanctum of privacy. Hers is a refreshing, humourous, outside view of Bermudian everyday culture. With all the means of communication and transportation at our disposal, Bermudian artists have the technological ability to keep current on much
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of the latest trends and developments in the overseas art world. That can be an advantage, as well as a danger. I recall a guest speaker at an art conference who noted how some artists change with every new issue of Art News. No matter what, influences are inevitable, but, at the same time, we need to recognise our need of maintaining our own authentic individuality. This brings me to the art of Kavin Morris, who, although aware of and to some extent impacted by such artists as Keith Haring or Jackson Pollock, has still been able to maintain his particular identity. Typically, his compositions are of the "over-all" type, characteristic of Pollock, but there is also an element of graffiti which comes from Haring. Still, no one would mistake a Morris for a Pollock or a Haring. Bryan Ritchie, although Bermudian, resides in Wisconsin, where he is an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, Wisconsin. His speciality is printmaking. His contribution to the Biennial consists of a lithograph and two monotypes, that seem surreal, more than anything. In his artist's statement, he wrote that his work is a collection of opinions born out of social interactions, media influences, daily routines, feelings and memories. In particular, he says that he enjoys exploring social and political paradigms through implied narratives that fluctuate between abstraction and representation. John Battersbee's two coloured pencil drawings are highly obsessive and detailed. Although abstract, they have implied realities that demand our attention. Indeed, they are like abstract flower gardens. One is entitled 'Life's Pulse', the other, 'Guardians'. The 2010 Bermuda National Gallery's Biennial is a groundbreaking show, that I encourage all to see. It continues through November 26. There is also a Biennial catalogue that is worth collecting, The Bermuda National Gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free.
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