Phil Collins at The Model; ‘In the Line of Beauty’ at IMMA; Santiago Sierra at Void, Derry; and Willie Doherty at City Factory Gallery.
Featured Image: Santiago Sierra, Veteran of the War in Northern Ireland Facing the Corner, October 2013; image courtesy of the artist and VOID Gallery.
http://www.artmonthly.co.uk/magazine/site/issue/dec-jan-13-14
Link to article on publicart.ie
PDF – Momentous Times, Art Monthly, Issue 370
Bringing together a range of aesthetic and dialogical practices, ‘Momentous Times’ seeks to examine the relationship between art and the shifting forms and conditions of labour. The curatorial vision for the exhibition does not gloss over the complexity of this discourse; rather it provides multiple points of access, employing useful categorisations of artworks across historic, present day, futuristic and abstract spectrums. As a result, the depth of inquiry is far-reaching, and the exhibition – which is supplemented by two forums, three screenings and a publication – evokes reflection on a broad ‘labourisation’ of culture as it is represented in contemporary art.
Following on from the successful 3×2: Exhibition of Contemporary Clay, this current showcase of Irish and international artists aims to further probe the shifting parameters of contemporary clay practice. The choice of terminology is significant here, with ‘clay’ denoting not just the medium of focus, but a direct and immediate engagement with material. This pre-occupation with materiality, while reaching beyond the traditional confines of the craft genre, seeks to retain a vital connection with its inherent processes and historical legacies.
Three monumental beams of wood assemble solidly at the foot of the staircase towards The Dock. This minimalist, sculptural gesture typifies artist Michael Warren’s ongoing pre-occupation with materiality and scale in relation to site.
Alan James Burns’ artistic practice encompasses a range of performance, film, audio and installation processes. Thematically his work has been broadly informed by the principals of behavioural psychology – a branch of early 20th century psychology which was displaced by the ‘cognitive turn’ of the 1950’s.
Previous work has drawn on the relationship between behaviour and environment, considering the mechanisms of habit, predictability, conditioning, free-association, repetition and ritual.
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‘Performance Conditioning’ PDF
Joanne Laws 