Space, a nebulous concept, we tend to like to measure and quantify it.
Marking out a space for a purpose.
The Icelandic Pavilion at the Venice Biennale investigated architectural drawings to contrast the function of a workplace with the opulence of leisure pursuits.
One blueprint is placed over another.
Katrin Sigurdardottir ‘Foundation’
Using the site of an old laundry in the grounds of Palazzo Zenobia, Katrin Sigurdardottir imposes an ornate tiled floor with opposing dimensions into the structure of the former workplace.
Katrin Sigurdardottir ‘Foundation’
The swirling baroque inspired patterned floor spills out from the old foundations.
Katrin Sigurdardottir ‘Foundation’
The audience is directed through the space by the curiosity to explore the openings and exits that lead through the building and up onto the roof.
It is an Alice in Wonderland experience of displacement.
It also makes you think of the people that worked in the laundry and those that danced on such a floor, and how those disparate worlds may have intersected.
At the Montenegro Pavillion Irene Lagator Pejovic has not drawn a line around space but filled it up with the finest wires strung taught across the dark room and lit so as to appear ethereal.
Irena Lagator Pejovic
It gives the impression of making light itself tangible.
Irena Lagator Pejovic
She wants us to think about perceptual awareness, to be conscious of our body in space.
One of my favourite exhibitions which really defined space through line was ‘A remote whisper’ from Portuguese artist Pedro Cabrita Reis.
Pedro Cabrita Reis
Drawings in space.
Pedro Cabrita Reis
Aluminium tubes, fluorescent lights and cables flow through the corridors and rooms of Palazzo Falier adding a new vibrancy to the magnificent ancient building.
Another artist using the fluorescent tube as a drawn line is Bill Culbert for the New Zealand Pavilion.
A sculptural meditation on shelter, habitation and dwelling.
Bill Culbert
It was a building shot through with light, like a ricochetting laser beam had caused havoc, piercing and displacing objects in its path.
Bill Culbert
I was interested in his use of recycled plastics.
Bill Culbert
The catalogue accompanying this exhibition cites the historic image of Adam’s Hut in Paradise as a possible point of reference for Bill Culbert’s Hut, made in Christchurch.
Bill Culbert Hut, made in Christchurch
I had a quick look to see what references I could find about this mythic hut, there is a book called On Adam’s House in Paradise by Joseph Rykwert that looks like it could be interesting.
It has a look back through history to try and trace the first ideas about a place of dwelling.
Christchurch being the site where many buildings were recently destroyed by earthquakes for me it looks like a memorial to those buildings that fell.
The bare bones of a structure, no roof, no walls – the space that once held a dwelling marked out in light .
Susan Hiller was showing her series of photographs The Secrets of Sunset Beach at Timothy Taylor Gallery in an exhibition looking at interpretations of the American Landscape.
Susan Hiller Secrets of Sunset Beach
Through the use of projected light these spaces become magical, alive with weird hieroglyphs.
Susan Hiller
The inner space of the beach hut mirrors the dappling of sunlight outside.
Planes are distorted and the edges of space become blurred.
Had another chance to see the amazing work of Jane Ward.
These two images are a couple of favourites.
Jane Ward Inland
Space is not so much delineated as exploded.
Jane Ward In the Bay Shining
What is wonderful about Jane’s work is that it works from a distance, a spectacle of dissolving worlds but it also works up close where the minute detail is crisp and intricate.
They look like landscapes from The Fifth Element where flying cars would come in handy.
I have been working on the more local urban landscape of the roundabout.
Following directions, a flow.
Collagraph Prints
These was a meagre tree on the roundabout – an attempt at a green oasis in the grey. I did have the tree in the first collagraph I made but have removed it. It needed to be intaglio not relief – something to bear in mind for next time I want clear dark lines with no ink pooling around the edges.
Collagraph plate
I also ended up cutting the collagraph so the sky was printed separately. I have to decide which print to use for the tear across the surface. Opening a space to fantasy. I have had the ‘paradise’ image printed which will go behind the collagraph print once it is transferred to polyester – only a small fragment will show but because the tear will be random I have had it printed full size. Even though most of the image won’t be shown I think it is important it is there.
