Suchergebnisse

The moon, that silent companion to the constant ravages of our turbulent earth. That puller of tides and marker of seasons. That poetic muse and vision of Selene. A destination for governmental grandstanders and for the dreams of children. A mineral resource and a science fiction homestead. The moon is a physical, observable, quantifiable object and it is a screen for the projection of our most profound, whimsical and spiritual desires. The material that surrounds us, those organic and mineral substances that lay in strata all the way to the Earth's core. The dust and the soil and the rock. That grow and bloom and crystalise. That embody, affect and perform change. The moon is the product of the same cosmic gas and dust as the matter beneath our feet. These things are connected. Lunar Gardening is a gathering of artists' works that collectively consider making, process, ritual (and by implication) being, as existing between, and under the influence of two interrelated forces – the lunar orbit and microscopic mineral change. Both forces are observable through the tools of empirical science, and at the same time, they have the ability to conjure metaphoric, spiritual or ethical significance. Paintings, prints, photographs, books and objects channel these forces and play host to extra-rational narratives.

This exhibition and publication explores some of the current practices by artists working with printmaking who are approaching the form not specifically as printmakers but are in many cases using print as one of a number of forms of expression or in combination with other media. The artists represent new forms of engagement that is informed by current art practices and the impact of digital media, the relation to drawing and photo based media, as well as in some cases, durational, installation and performative practices. This is represented in the different cultural traditions in Taiwan, London and Madrid where most of the artists gravitate to or are based. It is possible to recognise some of the specific cultural conditions that inform the work from each country and the extent to which traditional forms of printmaking have been embraced or even rejected. A key question is why such an exhibition as this is needed. Does it represent some form of paradigm shift and a new departure for printmaking and an attempt to amplify its relevance, or is it fueled by an anxiety about the status of printmaking at a time when new inexpensive technologies are being fully and enthusiastically embraced by artists and traditional methods are becoming less popular or being marginalised by education and consigned to a historical position. As with many such debates about what might be broadly defined as craft based activities, such as printmaking, the progression is not necessarily linear with an inevitable trend towards obsolescence. There is clearly a more elliptical cycle of engagement that to some extent re invents a process such as printmaking by linking it to and embracing new forms of expression in experimental and innovative ways. The invention of television for instance did not kill the radio and the internet did not see the end of printed books, as there have never been so many radio stations as there are now and book sales are extremely healthy. Neither did the democratised medium of photography herald the predicted end of painting by virtue of its superior ability to render more life like portraits, landscapes and the capture of urban and rural scenes. There are of course always challenges to all forms of established creative expression as we are not just entering into but are already fully immersed into an unprecedented age of faster and more graphic communications and dissemination that penetrates deep into our individual and collective lives. Artists have however always retained a healthy and cautious approach to innovation, when things move at a fast speed we find some artists re asserting the need for slowness. The rampant, relentless and instantly gratifying digital environment sends artists back to pencil and paper and the time consuming haptic activities such as drawing and painting. What is clear however is the need for a continued dialogue in a rapidly changing world of visual cultures and this exhibition and publication seeks to promote and keep alive the debates around printmaking in what many consider now to be a post format era.

This artwork work was selected and exhibited as part of a landscape/environment project in two parts entitled Against Nature; Exhibition, Symposium & Publication. An exhibition and a publication that looks at the infection of are current understandings of landscapes, geography and natural histories. And with this a position to political and ethical notions of our planet/habitat that are unavoidable when picturing anything we may have traditionally termed landscape. A situation has arisen where scientific notions for example are impossible to divorce from the ideas and views presented. Multiple object and print media will be dominant in the show and the publication itself will indeed be printed. This will contain essays and commission art works and not operate as a catalogue but another site.