Bonnie LANE – “Into the Dark”

This is my first visit to Bus Projects since they have moved from their Lt Lonsdale location. They are now situated in the basement of Donkey Wheel House. It is a peculiar entrance found behind the elevator. As you enter, you descend the old staircase that leads you to a staffed table. The dark entrance and sound of distant talking is a little disconcerting at first but in the same sense allures to a little mystery.

Immediately to my left is a looped image of a young girl of three years old or so putting on make up. She is facing the viewer as though we are the mirror. She doesn’t look like she is having fun. She looks straight through you. It’s an eerie image as it is a black background so her gaze is even more intense.

I initially missed the other video work hidden to the left in a dark hallway. I felt claustrophobic and didn’t appreciate it. As you exit this space you continue further down the hallway and enter a dark gallery space. To the left is a projection of a curtain slowly and softly blowing. This is projected onto a closed blacked out window. I get the sense of the unknown behind the curtain that never reveals its source. You maintain your gaze waiting for the curtain to blow open.

In the same gallery appears a projection of a young girl who looks to be eight years old lying on her side in her nightdress. The image is projected onto existing tiles of the gallery. The tiles are used white porcelain on a slight angle. Her hair is blowing slightly as though she is sleeping under a window. The tiles exuberate the cold feeling l get from the image. The girl is unaware and seems to be sleeping peacefully. She has no blankets and has bare feet. That cold feeling could also be that your in a basement. The far gallery has a light projection randomly displaying blocks of light. I’m unsure the consequence of this.

This show seems quite site specific and works tremendously well. I’m not a big fan of video work and l have become quite indifferent to it over the years. This artist however, successfully accomplished a show of video work that all relates and the location is ideal and has encouraged the exhibition.

For all those complacent video work viewers, this is a must see.

http://www.busprojects.com.au/

Richard BLACKWELL – "Grotto" (Volume 3)

I initially saw this exhibition advertised in the Art Almanac with an image of a city building duplicated and falling into some sort of out of space black hole. It captured my eye and faintly reminded me of an MC Escher print.

This is the third instalment of a three-part exhibition viewed at different galleries and countries. I haven’t seen the previous two exhibitions or read about it. l haven’t read any literature or background history of this artist or their previous shows. I try this approach with all artists they l am new to so l have no preconceptions. I may have to review this in the future, particularly to a show like this which is a series.

I enter the gallery and first see a freestanding linear structure almost like a pained vortex with protruding sharp angles. I get distracted by the first three images that l can see through the sculpture. They are lines made from two types of dark and light brown. They are of sharp lines bending and warping vertically from left to right. My first impression is of surveyed land graph. It’s like a map of physical geography. As l get a better look they optically move and vibrate. It could almost be a two dimensional piece. I stand mesmerised for sometime moving forward and backwards to enhance the optical illusion.

I can’t help but be drawn to the images of the buildings metamorphosed into atoms. They are floating aimlessly into a dark atmosphere. There is what looks like fragmented parts gravitating towards the viewer. The images are in black, whites and greys. They are the remains of the 21st century civilisations collapsing onto themselves. Empty vessels with little recognition to an outsider. There is something eerie about this work, which speaks a bleak future to me. I enjoyed the contrast of works on display.

Show is until 14^th of May.

http://www.richardblackwell.net/

http://www.flg.com.au

Emily FLOYD - "An Open Space"

I am greeted by an elongated white walled gallery with a colourful wonderland installation. I feel small and insignificant in comparison. “An Open Space” is literally spelt out by various coloured wooden blocks. It stands from one width of the gallery to the other. It is constructed by life size child building blocks. Adult versions of squares, circles, triangles and rectangles spelling out the words. To enhance the exaggerated child play are birds. The birds have some sort of authority as though the installation is their home or a meeting place. They are on various letters and free standing almost inspecting the work. They are part of the words with their black bodies, beaks and coloured feathers. 

The O of the words beckons you to enter even though it’s obvious what stands on the other side…an open space. The open space in this respect is not the focus but rather the gateway in which is the installation. I want to go through the O and come back to view it from the front again numerous times. I did feel like moving the letters around or moving them to another angle. It felt interactive although it could have been that wonderland sense. This could be the active version of “numbers and letters” as seen on ABC.

Having just entered the gallery from the Flinders Lane city lunch rush hour. A typical grey Melbourne day with grey suits and heels. The installation was strangely peaceful, solitary and very refreshing. I wanted to sit for awhile away from the hustle and bustle outside. 

I would have liked to see what a child thought of this. I was with my son but he was asleep and too young to comprehend. Is it a gateway we forget when we transit child to teenager to adult? The forgotten naivety and fun we experienced from simplicity? Or am l reading too much into the installation. Is it simply an adult playground for us to view and enjoy?

I look forward to the next exhibition by this artist. Exhibition is until 28^th of May.

www.annaschwartzgallery.com

Art + Soul – a personal journey into the world of Aboriginal Art – Hetti PERKINS

I feel quite removed from Aboriginal culture and art. My level of understanding is limited which l believe is due to my lack of education, knowledge and my urban location.

I recently watched the documentary Art + Soul from my local library in Footscray. I encourage people to watch this as it gives a really good idea of both contemporary and traditional aboriginal art. It is a three part series which was originally aired on the ABC. Hetti Perkins narrated and produced the series. This documentary really made me question my own identity and position in this country l call home. Aboriginal art is political as it is personal as Hetti Perkins stated.

Emily Kam Ngwarray, Lin Onus, Destiny Deacon, Bindi Cole, Paola Balla, Fiona Foley, William Barak and Albert Namatjira are all aboriginal artists that l enjoy and are familiar with. I did mean to get fortyfivedownstairs gallery to view the winners of the 2011 Victorian Indigenous Art Awards.

I’m now inspired to go and visit the National Gallery of Victoria and revisit the permanent collection of indigenous art. I will be visiting Sydney shortly and will definitely visit the Art Gallery of New South Wales to view Rusty Peters large painting, Jackie Kurltjunyintja Giles “Kaliangku” and  visit the Australian Film and Television Radio School. Naata Nungurrayi “untitled” and Tommy McRea’s early depiction of colonisation are both on my list. When l’m next in Brisbane l would also like to view Gulumbu Yunupingu’s “Garak, the Universe” at Queensland Art Gallery.

As a not quite white Australian, l am definitely more encouraged to engage and understand aboriginal art. Or maybe as Richard Bell painted and  said “Aboriginal Art, it’s a white thing”.

I feel l now have a little better understanding and insight with an historical context. I have a long way to go.

There is an exhibition running at the Art Gallery of NSW until the 13^th of June in conjunction with the docmentary.

http://www.abc.net.au/arts/artandsoul/flash/default.htm

http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/art-soul/