GÊ ORTHOF 'mata ! mata' & NAOMI ZOUWER 'Objects of Sympathy' by Canberra Contemporary

GÃ&#x160; OR T HOF MATA ! MATA

NAOMI ZOUWER OBJECTS OF EMPATHY

NAOMI ZOUWER OBJECTS OF EMPATHY It could be argued that Naomi Zouwer’s interest in objects began with the story of her father suddenly leaving Australia - and her family - when she was seven. Zouwer recounts receiving a gift in the post from him from Thailand: brown, crumbling monkey coral and a little laughing ivory Buddha statue wrapped in metres and metres of red raw Thai silk. Zouwer says that the silk travelled with her into adulthood, from house to house: ‘it stained my white washing pink, and the silk became frayed around the edges, and sometimes, long strings of silk would get caught up and tangled in something else’.1 These objects, and the subsequent gifts her father would give her, became more than things; they were elevated beyond mere novelties because they came from him. Over time and place Zouwer and her father remained connected because he was present in her daily life through these items. Objects of Empathy is an exhibition about connections like these, told through ornaments and materials given to Zouwer from family members. Using painting, drawing and textiles Zouwer comments on and explores how domestic objects connect and define us, by engaging with ideas on identity, heritage and belonging. The items in Zouwer’s works represent connections and disconnections: they serve to link people no matter the time or location, or serve as reminders of a link that was lost. The miniature nature of each carefully sourced article means that the viewer is forced to focus – to get close and interact and explore.

Zouwer’s textile works are presented in The Cube: delicate doilies, intricate handmade woven pieces and a wall of miniature moments address connections and disconnections from the artists’ past and present. There is a large lace silhouette dominating one wall of the black space created from discarded domestic embroideries from the 1950’s, which is based on a photograph of Zouwer’s mother and grandmother. The material is sourced from a period that would have been around the same time her mother and grandmother first came to Australia from Finnish Lapland and for Zouwer, speaks to a sense of nostalgia and passing time. 1

Zouwer, Naomi. “Making Home Object Stories” in Catalogue p24

NAOMI ZOUWER

Connected / Disconnected (detail), 2019 Found objects, birch tree bark, cotton crochet, synthetic flowers, vintage postcard Dimensions variable, photo by Brenton McGeachie

Another wall in The Cube is dedicated to ‘little moments’, an idea that was inspired by events that happened during the install of the exhibition. Included here are delicate pairings, among them blossoms of crocheted flowers and leaves and a tiny macramé work, made by Zouwer’s recently discovered half-sister. Unknown to each other until the weeks leading up to the opening, it would seem fated that Zouwer’s sister is also a maker and has been living in Australia most of her life, on the other side of the country. Quite serendipitously there is also a postcard of Finland (one country of Zouwer’s heritage) from the 1970’s that Zouwer was gifted by her co-exhibiting artist, Brazilian Gê Orthof – another example of how things can connect us over time and space. The textile works in The Cube converse with Zouwer’s paintings and drawings in The Middle Space through repetition: Zouwer is interested in how different combinations can change an object’s meaning or reading. For example, the motif of the ‘raindeer’ reappears throughout the two spaces and symbolises Zouwer’s mother. Other ornaments re-appear throughout the works too, becoming recurring motifs. Zouwer continues to repeat these motifs in different contexts showing that, when seen in a different setting, an items’ significance can change entirely. The Taxonomy Series are works on paper presented in The Middle Space. They are ‘portraits’ of sorts: a collection of small ornaments that define and represent the subject of that work. There are eight portraits (painted in gouache and watercolour) of the artist and her family, which include her children Teijo and Elmi, her husband Ross, her mother Kaija and her paternal grandparents (her Oma and Opa). The articles painted here have been chosen by the artist, so we see them as Zouwer sees them, not how the subjects may see themselves. Objects recur across the portraits representing the interconnectedness between Zouwer’s family members. Drawn here are pieces belonging to her family and well as souvenirs that are reminders of significant events or special family connections. Each portrait is accompanied by a small bound hardcover that features digital reproductions of the items. These works battle to define their subjects when in fact, as Jorge Louis Borges writes, our desire to define everything can sometimes be arbitrary.2 We can never know or define anything completely, but we will continue to try, in order to make sense of ourselves and where we belong. These drawings are Zouwer working to understand her heritage, her family and her identity through seemingly trivial pieces that are actually deeply personal keepsakes. The Taxonomy Series invites audiences to get close and interact with a child-like curiosity. Tiny things characteristically illicit a different response than larger ones, making this experience intimate, revealing and reflective. Though Zouwer’s portraits are of her and her loved ones, these works are introspective for audiences too; these works encourage us to think about our own loved ones and our interactions with them through everyday objects. 2

Borges, Jorge Louis. “The Analytical Language of John Wilkins”. Translated by Lilia Graciela Vázquez. Alamut: Bastion of Peace and Information. Accessed at http://www.alamut.com/subj/artiface/language/ johnWilkins.html on 13/11/2019.

NAOMI ZOUWER

Connected / Disconnected (detail), 2019 Found shadow work textile, embroidery 90cm x 90cm, photo by Brenton McGeachie

NAOMI ZOUWER

LEFT TO RIGHT, TOP TO BOTTOM

The Taxonomy of Me, The Taxonomy of Elmi, The Taxonomy of Teijo, The Taxonomy of Ross, The Taxonomy of Kaija, The Taxonomy Oma and Opa, The Taxonomy of Small Things, The Taxonomy of Tiny Things, 2016 Gouache and watercolour on paper, 77cm x 57cm each, photo by Brenton McGeachie

Also in The Middle Space are five large works on canvas that challenge the conventional still life. Zouwer has arranged colourful, disparate ornaments against a backdrop of thick, whimsical and disruptive black and white stripes. Two of the works, entitled Family 1 and Family 2, parade a collection of items that have been swathed by vibrant multicoloured fabrics. Sitting in contrast to the other works in The Middle Space, Family 1 and Family 2 move away from depicting instantly recognisable things to showcasing purposefully concealed ones that still are incredibly emotive, perhaps because of their mysteriousness. The other works, Dazzle 1, Dazzle 2 and Dazzle 3, play with dimensions and perspective by floating tiny pieces amongst the stripes; there are figurines, dismembered dolls’ limbs and other trinkets, reminiscent of a circus freak show or a cabinet of curiosities. With these larger works on canvas Zouwer borrows from 17th century Dutch subgenres pronkstilleven and vanitas painting. Originating in the Netherlands during the early 1600’s these styles of still life are typified by sumptuous compositions that often overwhelm the viewer with their abundance and diversity of subject matter. However, unlike a vanitas style work (which typically shows the transience of life) Zouwer’s paintings present a less futile view, one that is punctuated with memories and experiences. In this sense, Zouwer records the things that remain, the things that help us to remember what connects us.

Objects of Empathy is an exhibition driven by looking for - and ultimately, making - connections. When taking in The Taxonomy Series a woman visiting the gallery asked ‘where is the artist from?’; she had recognised ornaments from the Netherlands that her mother and grandmother had owned. So, not only do these trinkets connect Zouwer to her family, but they connect us to her. Before being in this exhibition these things could have been unremarkable, designated as ‘clutter’ or knickknacks. Here, each piece has been thoughtfully chosen, and because of this, they become precious and important, as they connect the artist to a significant time or experience. By exploring the social role and value of everyday objects through a colourful, playful display of textiles, drawing and painting Zouwer creates an exhibition that is accessible and connects us not only to her experiences, but encourages us to investigate our own connections.

Danielle Toua December 2019

NAOMI ZOUWER LEFT Family 1, 2019 Oil on canvas, 110cm x 90cm, photo by Brenton McGeachie NEXT PAGE LEFT Dazzle 1, 2019 Oil on canvas, 130cm x 90cm, photo by Brenton McGeachie NEXT PAGE RIGHT Dazzle 3, 2019 Oil on canvas, 130cm x 90cm, photo by Brenton McGeachie

GÊ OR T HOF MATA ! MATA When Gê Orthof arrived in Canberra from Brasília he appeared to bring very little from Brazil. There was no art to speak of in his suitcases, just a few objects that could, in the context of an exhibition in CCAS’s MAINspace, become part of a comprehensive installation. A bag of small pink plastic dragonflies from a bargain shop, some 1980s erotic playing cards plus assorted photographs, postcards, small books and some ubiquitous memory sticks. Almost immediately upon landing in the ACT Orthof began the month-long process of creating an exhibition from virtually nothing, filling the gallery space with tiny objects, some made, some found, connected to each other via threads and poignant wall texts that reference, for instance, the lullabies of Indigenous people in the Amazon Forests, art theory and Queer politics. Beyond the luggage, however, Orthof, brought a great deal of Brazil to Australia, specifically his childhood memories, his experience of the many cultures and subcultures that make up his country and his distinctive political views, all of which he transposes into the current Australian mileu. While this was Orthof’s first visit Australia he was never to be a stranger in a strange land. He enthusiastically immersed himself in both culture and environment, taking regular walks into the bush around Mount Ainslie observing the native flora and fauna while initiating a collection of items that would eventually become integrant in his exhibition. A pyschogeographer of the first order, Orthof loses himself in the city which in Canberra’s case is not entirely urban; consisting of modernist edifices as well as extensive bushland. The monumental spaces of Canberra’s buildings with their barren facades of form, function and officialdom were not unfamiliar to him, simulating, in some respects, the mid 20th century concrete and glass temperament of Oscar Niemeyer’s Brasília. Orthof performs Guy Debord’s notion of dérive or drift undertaking exploratory journeys through varied ambiances, letting himself be drawn by the attractions of terrain and consequent encounters. In this way we come to understand Orthof’s work, to ‘connect the dots’, as if on a leisurely passage through artist’s psyche where individual elements will command attention and connections. Using the gallery as a workshop for three weeks before the opening Orthof sat alone at a table heavy with possibilities, editing all manner of disparate stuff that will eventually speak to his experience of past and present, bringing elements of Australia and Brazil together. Every fallen branch, twig and leaf has the potential to describe his daily encounters with the tinder dry bush of the Territory. On Instagram he posts images of the dusty red tracks and twisted gums with glimpses of the occasional Rosella, emu and kangaroo captured in their futile search for water. Pitting the natural against the artificial he combs the Molonglo Mall searching for items that might reflect his complex web of ideas, finding treasure in bargain shops and op shops; forging friendships in stores like Australian Geographic and Officeworks.

In the period that mata ! mata was produced, the gallery was open, enabling visitors to meet the artist and watch the exhibition develop. Saturday November 2nd, the day of the ACT AIDS Action Council Fair Day saw 450 visitors for whom the exhibition was a revelation. Throughout the gallery are references to LGBTQIA+ life in Roman Catholic Brazil and notwithstanding the incredible gains made over the last decade, Orthof paints a bleak picture. Beyond his rainbow string and amusing playing cards sporting pictures of naked men, Orthof is uncompromising in his exposé of human rights abuses quoting Time Magazine in a work scribbled on brown note paper: The number of violent deaths of LBGT people in Brazil peaked in 2017 at 445 people with researchers asserting this 30% rise on the previous year related directly to the violent virulent anti-gay sentiments championed by ultra conservative politicians last year 420 LBGT people were killed including Marielle Franco a black bisexual feminist Rio de Janeiro city council member. Orthof further appraises the struggle of LGBTQIA+ Brazilians in a series of tiny photographs of flamboyant characters positioned under the wall text “I hope you are safe”. Two images are upside down and the text beneath reads “I know you are not”. Like the playing cards which he stresses are not pornographic but rather a light-hearted appreciation of male form, these images speak to broader but more serious issues of acceptance and freedom, initiating something of an emotional roller coaster ride where we find ourselves delighted, entertained and saddened within very short distances. Heavy with metaphor Orthof continually holds a mirror to his personal life while artfully protecting himself from censorship and persecution - a common challenge for Brazilian artists since the last election of October 2018. While Orthof’s installations are extensive their components tend to range from small to tiny. His motive here is to guide movement through the exhibition with floor works and delicate barriers of string blocking a straight path. Obstacles encourage his audience to take a slow considered approach to looking at art. Objects and images capture attention and demand a closer look as we navigate ‘islands’ of curious ideas. The miniature demands extra attention, closer scrutiny, and given the large number of objects, each communicating a specific idea, mata ! mata is demanding but ultimately thoroughly rewarding. In Portuguese the word mata has two meanings referring both to the forest and ‘to kill’. The use of this homonym raises the disturbing spectre of recent fires in the vast Amazon basin, also known as the “lungs of the world”. In spite of the global warming emergency the Brazilian Government has allowed, if not encouraged, land clearance for ranching and agriculture as well as mining oil and gas, copper, iron and gold. This is particularly dangerous in the Amazon rainforest’s wet ecosystem that has developed over millions of years in the absence of fire. While releasing trapped carbon into the atmosphere these fires and deforestation leaves soil to erode making lands down-stream susceptible in coastal flooding.

G Ê ORTHOF