Tuesday, 6 September 2011

An Afternoon at Goma - by Maggie Bowcock






James Eseli / Kala Lagaw Ya people / 1929–2009 / Ubirikubiri (Crocodile) headdress 2004 / Cotton tree wood, enamel paint, pencil, feathers, PVC container, raffia, copper wire, toothpicks, string, PVA fixative, aluminium, glass marbles / Purchased 2005. Queensland Art Gallery Foundation Grant / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery



Surreal is described as having that ‘quality of a dream’, and such was the experience of walking into the exhibition,  Land, Sea and Sky: Contemporary Art of the Torres Strait Islands (currently being showcased at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art) after viewing the SurrealismThe Poetry of Dreams, exhibition, also on show at the Gallery.

After being submerged in the surrealism show (which is curated with dark grey and crimson walls, giving a cavernous sensation) showing a plethora of works associated with artists that seemed to have obsessions with fear and violence, ( many of whom had been traumatised by their experiences of living in Europe, often as soldiers, through the first war,) one realises the enormous impact a ‘sense of place’ can have on an artist. For example, Alberto Giommetti’s ‘Femme Egorgee’ (Woman with throat cut) 1932, displays the interest many surrealist’s had with violent and sadist crimes.  One is reminded of the traumatised works by Australian expressionist artists, who also lived through the horrors of war, such as, Arthur Boyd’s Melbourne Burning, or Albert Tucker’s, Victory Girls. Overall the Surrealist show is dark, dingy and does not display the best examples of the key artists’ works of that movement.
 If a sub-theme for the surrealist exhibition could be their obsession with the ‘night time’ and the metaphors associated with night, namely death, darkness and  angst; a sub-theme for the Torres Strait show could equally be the ‘coming of the light’, along with a sense of celebration and  joy of life lived within that zone, as the viewer  is immersed, rather than submerged, into a cosmic- like play of dance and ceremonial items, masks, sculptures, paintings, textiles and prints. The curator has created a dazzling display where, patterns, textures, colours and forms interact with the large open spaces giving the ‘Land Sea and Sky’ experience.

 These artworks tell stories of ‘place’ and ‘identity’ that informs and educates the viewer about the existence and life style of this unique set of islands spread across a vast sea. They also serve as a platform to suggest it is not money, or privilege or fame that nurtures artists; but community, a sense of belonging and knowing the source of one’s heritage. While some of the paintings exhibited are disappointing, most of the works and especially the prints and sculptures are outstanding.  Richard Idagi’s Beizam Tirig, 2009, Turtle Shell Flake, Feathers, Saimi Saimi Seeds and String 86.5X62X126CM epitomises the work of an artist who knows who he is. The sculpture is modernist, with a bold simplified form, confident and paired with exquisitely crafted detail. It could sit confidently in any museum, not as an artefact but as a metaphor for an ocean that teems with life. The peoples’ stories presented in this show deserve the conservation and recognition that our museums are commissioned to promote.

2 comments:

  1. Hey Maggie

    I like this review, it's very honest, but I think you could tighten up still. It's an effective strategy to compare/contrast the two shows, so you should have gone the whole hog! you could have directly compared works which serve similar functions in each show (eg key sculptural works, or key photographic works or something)... I think I just wanted to see you take this to an extreme!

    The last paragraph is really nice though, I particularly like the second last sentence. But maybe watch for including too much didactic info from a work, the materials and dimensions weren't really necessary for the point you were making and were kind of distracting as a reader!

    Lisa

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  2. Maggie, Cool looking person next to you in the pic...
    I saw this show and agree with your insightful take on the space surrounding each exhibition. It was so uplifting to walk into the Torres Strait Island exhibition which was far more about art having a social, environmental and spiritual place in the community.
    Wendy.

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