A new thought after an exhibition Installation
by deanmelbourne
Installing exhibitions is always fantastic, usually the culmination of a lot of planning, struggling to make deadlines and a build up of nervous tension. I have been lucky enough to install two over the last couple of months.
Anneka French installing
Recently our little Team of three, Curator Anneka French , artist Chantal Powell and myself finally get to explore the possibilities of our work and ideas in a small (but nicely placed !) space in Wolverhampton Art Gallery. Compared to the pressure of hanging my one man show a month or so ago it was really great to work with a team. Even better to relinquish some of the decision making to Anneka.
In contrast to my solo show this time I really enjoyed collaborating with an installation artist and exploring the “objectness” of my work. Paintings displayed as slides and drawing as an ongoing giant scroll etc.
Our exploration of materials has also been a real pleasure to me. Our show explore among many notions and ideas that of the human desire to make, embellish and change ordinary objects into things of much more value, spiritually or culturally. The objects found in The Pitt Rivers Collection were our main source of inspiration for this.
Our relationships with materials and sense of value and availability has been exposed as a real area of interest for me. Skulls from ebay, wood from Wickes, Garden Canes and stones from a garden landscaping centre. In contrast to our predecessors more direct relationships with their objects.
There is a connection here with my work concerning fashion images and catalogues. The idea that we can simply choose and have the life/things we want.
The simplicity and perceived lack of value also give rise to some thought about our cynical adult minds. The family made theatre set which would have brought so much joy to a 6 year old me reminds me of what I have lost as I have gained supposed sophistication as an adult.
Hours drawing my favourite animals as i did when i was ten eleven revitalised the medative nature of prolonged drawing. Creating a space in the mind where ideas can grow and flourish. I will try to remember that “doing” drawing could be a way to new ideas as an alternative to thinking or reading.
I have continued this train of thought with my next piece. An experimental drawing using the projector on canvas. Using a set of photographs that I took exactly one year ago on a icey snow covered night. Again images prove that they need time to mature before i can respond to them.
I like that these images are local. (Unusually for me) I like the idea of making something theatrical from something familiar and ordinary. I usually start with extraordinary, national geographic or vogue.
anyway It is called “Between Graveyard and Asylum” and those familiar with my area will know where that is. here is a in progress shot
Between Graveyard & Asylum, Pencil on canvas (unfinished) Dean Melbourne
