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create | writing

The following is a small selection of thoughts I have written either on the zebra-factory blog or for various other projects. Typically I try not to 'formally' talk/write about exhibitions/shows but on occassion I find something very thought provoking and more than worthy of some wordsmithing.

1st tamworth textile triennial

synposis: ...In some ways you might argue that the artists were almost uncomfortable to use simple thread, cotton or wool in a 'traditional' way for fear of being 'typecast' by the broader arts community. By subverting materials and substrates, they were perhaps more confident in the presentation of conceptual ideas and could rationalize the artification of any resultant objects... read more

nothing to see here...

synposis: ...There is an almost anthropological fascination in these faces. We marvel at their expressions, clothing and features yet this intimate intrusion also disturbs us. We might not immediately see ourselves in these images but we do recognise the vulnerability and helplessness of being trapped by another's gaze... read more

18th tamworth fibre textile biennial

synposis: ...Just as photography as an artform is skewed by the viewer's misperception of 'reality', so too cloth often suffers the same fate via a focus on the utilitarian aspects of the functional. Cloth is however much more complex than that. It regulates our temperature yet at the same time is an intricate sign system. It both protects us, disguises us and is integral to ritual. It is a teaching tool, entertainment device and it places us in a series of complex social groupings... read more

the authentic myth

synposis: ...The Authentic is a very useful tool with which to bridge cultural gaps, create connections and provide broader insight into an artistic practice. This highly scholastic, research-based approach to interpreting the past contrasts vividly with the work of emerging artist, Elisa Markes-Young... read more

jodi bieber | moore's building

synposis: ...The monos broke you out of the trap of falling into the difficult subject matter and allowed you to attain an aesthetic distance (essentially the sublime aspect) whilst the colour images re-contextualised the work... read more

janet laurence | galerie düsseldorf

synposis: ...Space is extenuated, light plays as you move around the pieces, depth appears and disappears as you fix your focus on various surfaces... read more

roger ballen | art gallery of wa

synposis: ...The imbalance comes in context and misreadings rather than content. Like all other forms of media, we project our own values and prejudices on to images. We are often more guilty than the photographer... read more

graham miller & jillian green | turner galleries

synposis: ...Does the painter render the imperfections in a wall or smooth it over to avoid distraction? Do they insert elements to tell their stories? Are portions of the image dealt with differently to highlight a (lack of) importance?... read more

bevan honey | galerie düsseldorf

synposis: ...Did the artist, as many who work on their own vehicles, get to a point where it was 'enough' - ie. driveable - rather than perfect? Would perfection mean that they are 'ready to be judged'? Would perfection mean the completion of an aspect of their lives? What happens after that completion? Is the process more significant that the result?... read more

the marketable beauty of tyranny (2002)

synposis: ...Diversity and freshness are vital for the development of contemporised tenets. To support this, many countries seriously need to re-evaluate their media, social and educational systems to include more than just the viewpoints of the ‘hero’ and diametrically opposed ‘villain’... read more