Michelle Rumney I n to Th e L a by r i n t h . . .
T he re Are No Shor tc ut s... No d o u bt M ic h e l l e R u m n ey i s g ro u n d ed i n a n opene ss to new i dea s a s we ll a s a n e m b ra c e o f t h e h u m a n co n di t i on a s a journey. He r wo rk su ms u p a w i d el y travel l ed i nte r i o r l i fe . Rum ney i s a n a rt i st of me d itat ive t ra n s p a ren c y w h e re em pty s p ace hol ds equa l we i g ht to t h e v isib le. S h e re p re s ents w h at i s n o t s een to ex press t he e ssence. H e r wo rk sp ea ks w i t h a s o f t vo i c e, yet b ene at h t here i s a power a nd sp irit u a lit y. T h e att ract ion o f R u m n ey ’s co l l a ges i s n ot t hei r i nscruta bi l i t y, b u t t h e ir acc e s s i b i l i t y. Th e i r f l eet w i t co mbi ned wi t h concept ua l in gen u it y a n d m eta p h o r i c p l ay. Th ey a re fra g i l e a nd yet resi l i e nt , se lf-e n clo se d b u t r i c h w i th p o tent i a l l i fe. S om et hi ng exci t i ng h a p p en s wh en t h e m ate r i a l s s h e u s e s ta ke on a n ex i stence of t hei r own . To o u n r u l y fo r s c r i pted r u l es o r p redi ct i ve pl a ces, m ateri a l i s se en wit h n ew eyes o r b e ca u s e th ey a re understood i n new contex t s. O ccasio n a lly i t ’s b e ca u s e t h ey p o s s es s a n a est het i c g ra ndeur t hat re sist s a ny inte r p ret i ve g r i d . T h e a rt ist ten d s to fo c u s o n t i m e p a s s i n g i t ’s ent ra qui ck power. T h ere are seren d i p i to u s l i n ks f ro m o n e col l a ge to t he nex t , from h er e arly ye a rs to t h e p res e nt. Th e re i s s om et hi ng i nherent l y sp ecial ab o u t d i s cove r i n g t h e wo r k o f a n a rt i st whose oeuv re i s ver y assim ilated - I wa s th r i l l e d at t h e o p port uni t y to wri te a bout M ich elle R u m n ey ’s i m a ges , w h i c h co m b i ne stor yboa rd el em ent s wit h m ed itat i ve states , l i vel y p o s i ti o n a n d respect i ve nodes to my t h o lo gica l i co n o g ra p hy. T ime sp e nt w h i l e n o t o n l y l o o k i n g b u t fe el i ng t he v i brat i ons of R u mn ey ’s cre ati o n , th e p a i nt i n g s o f Ag n e s M a rt i n com e to m i nd a s we ll a s t h e co l l a ge s a n d we avi n g s o f L eo nore Tawney. Bot h of t hem su ccee d ed in p u s h i n g th e b o u n d a r i es o f the he reto core i nto new d im e n sio n s. To ta l l y i n d ep e n d ent o f o n e a not he r, Ma rt i n, Tawney a n d R u m n ey h ave s h a p ed a r t t h at re co nf i g ure t he defi ni t i on of t he mo n u m e ntal. H erta W i tt genstei n
Into t he L aby r i nt h... T h is serie s b e ga n w i t h a s i n g l e i m p u l s e – I wa nted to t r y to m a ke se n se o f t h e i nfo r m at i o n i n a b o o k I wa s rea di ng . Pi cki ng t hroug h t he co nte nt o f t h i s p a r t i c u l a r b o o k ( Th e S even H a bi t s of HI g hl y Effe ct i ve Peo p le – a New Yo r k Ti m e s B est s el l e r by Stephen Covey) fel t too simp le – it wa s a 7 - ste p p ro c e s s th at c l a i med to, i f fol l owed, cha nge yo u r life fu n da m e nta l l y. Th i s co n c ept h a s bot hered m e si nce t he I first acq u ire d a co py o f th e b o o k ( b u t d i dn’t re a d i t ) a bout seven ye ars ago . A la by rint h , a s I u n d ersta n d i t , i s a m a ze i n whi ch you ca n’t get lo st – t h ere i s a s i n g l e p at h i n , a n d yo u u se t he sa m e pat h to get o u t – o n ce yo u ’ve re a c h e d yo u r go a l , yo u si m pl y t urn a round a nd ret ra ce yo u r steps ( rem e m b e r Th e s eu s ret ra ci ng Ari a dne’s gol de n t h rea d ? ). Laby r i nt h s ca n b e u s ed to s o l ve probl em s – t he wa l ker a sks a q u e st io n as t h ey e nter, a n d at ea c h tu r n on t he pat h, ponde rs t he q u est io n fro m a s l i g htl y d i fferent p e rs p e ct i ve, hopeful l y a chi ev i ng clarit y by t h e t i m e t h ey ’ve wa l ked t h e w h ol e m a ze. I n essence, laby rint h s are a way o f go i n g fo r a l o n g , t houg ht ful wa l k i n a fa i rl y co m p act sp a c e. S o it see me d a p p ro p r i ate to u s e a l a by r i nt h pattern to t ra ce t he p at h o f t h is ‘s i m p l e ’ s el f- h e l p b o o k . I d i s s ected t he book, pul l i ng t he ch a pte rs a n d p a ge s a p a r t, s i f t i n g t h ro u g h t he i nform at i on, pul l i ng o u t key se nten c es a n d t h e ‘n u g gets ’ o f ‘i mporta nt ’ content . And t h e n I sp read o u t t h e i nfo r m ati o n I ’d g l e aned onto t he l a byri nt h, map p in g t h e p ath s c h a pte r by c h a pte r, rea chi ng t he goa l – t he co n clu d in g cha pte r w i th th e b i g ‘a h a ’ m o ment pre sum a bl y. O n ce I ’d go t a way i nto t h i s l a by r i nth , I b ega n to work on t he nex t few in t h e ser i e s – m o re s el f- h el p o r h ow-to books a nd a l so m ore maps – info rm ati o n i s b ea u t i f u l a s th ey s ay. I chose a di fferent laby rint h p atter n fo r ea c h m a p o r b o o k – from a 1 5 t h Cent ur y he dge maze p atte rn, to a n I n d i a n sw i r l l a by r i nth to a G ree k m e a nder. Al l p re -exist in g l a by r i nt h p atter n s , n o t o f my own desi g n – I wa nted to allow myse l f to b e g u i d ed , b o th i n ter m s of t he ‘subject ’ a nd i n te rms o f t h e p ro c e s s i ts el f.
T h e resu lt in g s er i e s o f s eve n l a by r i nth s s eem at fi rst g l a nce qui te ri g i d a nd form a l – m ost l y t h ey h ave sh a r p co r n ers a n d m a i n l y stra i ght-i sh edge s. H owever, whe n sta ndi ng cl ose en o u gh to re a d t h e a c t u a l wo rd s o n t h e pa ge or pl a cena m es on t he m a ps, t he di sjoi nted a n d fract u red s n i p p ets s e em a l i ttl e r i d i c u l ous a nd nonsensi ca l . At t he sa m e t i m e a s ta ki ng u p mo re sp a c e , fee l i n g p e r h a ps m o re g ra ndi ose a nd ‘puffed up’ t ha n t hei r ori g i na l book or fo ld ed map for m at, t h e s e b o o ks h ave s h i fted or t ra nsform ed i n m e a ni ng a l so by hav i ng t hei r co nte nt s ‘laid b a re ’. H a s t h eir o rig i n a l ex p l a n ato r y i ntent i o n been i ncrea se d or di m i ni shed? Does t he v i ewe r a ch ieve a d iffe rent u n d e rsta n d i n g o f t h em? H ow do t he pat hways a nd ‘wa l l s’ of t he se new maps affe ct t h e re a d i n g o f th e m ? Th o u g h t he re’s onl y one pat h i n a nd out , you m ay fi nd yo u rself lo o k i n g fo r yo u r ow n s h o r tc u t s . . . Mi chel l e Rum ney
T he Road to Tobe r mor y m a p p i eces on p a p er 1 4 8 x 1 4 8 cm 2 0 1 3
S ali sbur y : C on stabl e’s P l ain m a p p i eces & st i tch i n g on p a p er 7 3 x 4 6 cm 2 0 1 3
In My O w n Foo ste p s m a p p i eces & g ra p h i te on p a p er 1 4 3 x 1 4 0 cm 2 0 1 3
T he 48 L aw s of Pow e r : 1-26 b ook p a ges , g ra p h i te & fa b r i c on p a p er 1 6 8 x 1 6 8 cm 2 0 1 3
I.O.W. m a p p i eces & st i tch i n g on p a p er 7 7 x 6 4 cm 2 0 1 3
D a s Indi s che L aby r inth a d h es i ve l a b el s a n d fa b r i c on p a p er 1 1 2 x 1 1 2 cm 2 0 1 3
He rbal L aby r inth a d h es i ve l a b el s a n d i n k on p a p er 1 4 8 x 1 4 8 cm 2 0 1 3
Cu e r po s y Alma s I - ¡Fin! co mic bo o k pages and stitc hing 3 0 x 37 cm 2013
Cu e r po s y Alma s IV - ¡Tonte r í a s com i c b ook p a ges a n d st i tc h i n g 3 0 x 3 2 cm 2 0 1 3
Cu e r po s y Alma s II - S e ntime nto s com i c b ook p a ges a n d st i tch i n g 3 1 x 3 8 cm 2 0 1 3
s!
Cu e r po s y Alma s III - ยกMa s! ยกMa s! co mic bo o k pages and stitching 3 0 x 37 cm 2013
Cu e r po s y Alma s IV - S oll oz ante s com i c b ook p a ges a n d st i tch i n g 3 0 x 3 2 cm 2 0 1 3
Cu e r po s y Alma s S e r i e s (d e tail s)
Walking s eem s to cover t i m e and space but in reality we are always just where we started. . . Agnes Martin
7 Habits of Hig hly Effec tiv e Peopl e (7 Path L aby r inth) b ook p a ges a n d g ra p h i te on p a p er & cl ot h 2 0 5 x 1 8 5 cm 2 0 1 3
Cu e r po s y Alma s V - ¡Tonte r í a s! com ic book p a ges a n d st i tch i n g 30 x 3 2 cm 2 0 1 3
MICHELLE R UMN E Y May 1967 Dorset, England
Education 2001 – 02 1992 – 96 1990 – 92 1985 – 86
MA in European Fine Art Winchester School of Art UK & Barcelona BA (Hons) in Fine Art (First Class Honours) University of Plymouth, UK & New Mexico, USA Foundation in Visual Arts Chelsea School of Art, London, UK BA (Hons) in Film, Video & Photographic Arts (1yr) Polytechnic of Central London
Solo Exhibitions 2002 1998 1994
Autoadhesiva, Panorama Gallery: Barcelona Oraciones, Exeter Picture House: Devon, UK Sacred Realities, ENMU: New Mexico, USA
Group Exhibitions 2013 2010 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995
Kundst in der Fabrik: Salzburg, Austria Nerja Arts Festival : Malaga, Spain TOP 02, Poble Nou: Barcelona, Spain Shortlist, Can Felipa Centre: Barcelona 4 x 4, Panorama Gallery: Barcelona Espai Mutant, Can Felipa Centre: Barcelona MA Group Show, Panorama Gallery: Barcelona Open Studios, Spike Island Artspace: Bristol, UK Group Show, Spike Island Artspace: Bristol Open Studios, Spike Island Artspace: Bristol Art Haven Group Show, The Look Gallery: Exeter, UK Group Show Selected, Art for Offices: London, UK The Spanish Connection, Thelma Hulbert Gallery: Devon, UK Honiton Arts Festival : Devon, UK Gidleigh Open House : Dartmoor, UK 9-X, The Tannery Gallery: London, UK Aspires, Sherwell Gallery: Plymouth, UK Open Studios Centro Historico, Mexico D.F., Mexico
Awards 1996 1994
Highly Commended – John Moore’s Competition, UK Awarded: ‘Outstanding 2D Student’, Eastern New Mexico University, USA
Speaking 2011 2012
Performing Art History: Courtauld Instisture of Art, London Meeting Agnes Martin’: Harwood Museum of Art, New Mexico, USA’
View more artwork at: michellerumney.com Š2013-15 Michelle Rumney