SUNWENGUAN(CHINA)DANICACHAPPELL(AUST)SIMONMORRIS(NZ)JOYCEHUANG(CHINA)PJHICKMAN(AUST)LINU(CHINA)ANDREWLESLIE(AUST)ALEXANDRAKENNEDY(NZ)QUFENGGUO(CHINA)JOSEPHINEMEAD(AUST)CRAIGEASTON(AUST/NZ)LIUTONGBIN(CHINA)LOUISEWEAVER(AUST)

ACTS OF REVERSAL

CURATEDBYCRAIGEASTO

N&PJHICKM

AN

SomeabstractionfromChina,NewZealandandAustralia

LouiseWeaverCalyx2019Syntheticpolymeremulsiononlinen152x106cm

AskmenoQuestionsThisexhibition’stitleisitselfanactofreversal.OriginallytobeTheLanguage,thethinkingwasaroundthoselanguagesofabstractionandhowtheyaresomehowinaconstantstateoftranslationandmistranslationwhetherwearesituatedinChina,AustraliaorNewZealand.ThisthoughtremainsandevenguidesActsofReversal.Butintheuncoveringofthesevarious(andtheyare)artistsandworks,itcametomethethingtheymosthaveincommonisageneralpreparednesstoupend,toplaywithoppositions,tobreakandblendinunexpectedwaysandtogobackintothehistoriesofabstraction,notasacompletistventureaimingtotieuplooseendssomuchascreatesomeentirelynewones.Soifyou’relookingforanswersorab(l)indingthesis,thisisnotoneofthosemoments.Thisisaverysmallshow;theoppositeofagrandsurveyassociatedwithwiderinternationalorinstitutionalinterestsandthewaysinwhichChineseartinparticularoftenreachesus.Therearenobigintentions,secretsornationalidentitiestobeuncovered.TheChineseartistshereareall,togreaterorlesserextent,associatedwiththeindependentartistGoGoGroup;aloosecoalitionratherthanthemoreprevalentcliques,theyrepresentaspiritofinclusion.IndeedanumberoftheAustralianandNewZealandartistspresentedalsofeaturedintheirrecent3CMMuseumprojectforChiK11Shenyang,andthisexhibitioninonepartseekstocontinuethoseconversations,createsomenewnetworksofexchange.Ifwe’recallingActsofReversalapaintingshowit’smoreasensibilitythananactuality.Thesamecouldbesaidfortheapproachtoabstractiontaken.Thereareimagesinusehere,textandquitepossiblysomenarrative.Nothingissettled.Oratleastnoone’ssettlingfornothing.Reverse,rewind,retrace,reconsider,rewrite.I’mnottalkingaboutnullifying.Quitetheopposite.It’smoreliketryingtocaptureallthestuffalongtheway.Leavenothingandnoonebehind.Maybeit'salazypath.Ascavenger’spath.Orcouldbeit'sareverseattemptatrigor-withoutthemortis?Sowhilethere’snobigstorytherearestillcontextstoconsider,particularlywhenreadingworkoutofChina.Forone,Chinesecalligraphypositsaneasyconfluencebetweenwordandimage;apossiblepointofdifferenceifonlybecauseforsomeitmeansthereisnotthesamebinarybetweenformandcontent,abstractionandrepresentationthattwentiethcenturycriticismwassofocusedon.HistoricallyalargechunkofModernismwasn’tevenavailabletoaonceclosedoremergingChina.IfthisposedaproblemitwasonemanyChineseartiststhenandnowhavetakenasanopportunity.Freeofsomeofourcriticaldivisionstheytooktocross-disciplinaryandcollaborativepracticeswithoutconstraint,andtodaysomethingabouttheirdiversepracticesreflectsthis.Arguablyourownpartoftheworld(thedistancechallenged,pre-internetversion)wasalsoinitswaycuriouslybothblinkeredand

freetorunitsownrace.WhetheranyofthisdirectlyinfluencestheartistsinActsofReversalisuptoyou.IlookatLiNu’svideotheLonelyLibrary.Ifthereisanalmostbrutallymodernsensibilityatworkinthearchitecturalsubject,it’sbalancedbythesmokemachinethatgraduallyobliteratesallinamistyhazereachingback,intentionallyornot,tothemastersofSongDynastymountainandwaterpainting.It’sdifficultnottothinkofinkpaintingtraditionsandthevalueplacedongreyasthecolourofallthingsthereandnotthere.IntothisIcouldcastMiesvandeRoheandCasparDavidFriedrichcaughtinatugofwarbetweenabsolutematerialityandthesublime.InLouiseWeaver’spaintingsthisbattlebetweenthematerial,andlet’scallitessence,isagainpresent.Theselayeredandpeeled,reappliedskinsarealsoremnants,areversaloftheusualgroundupapproachtopainting.Forsure,intheirprocessdriven,imprintedsurfaceswewitnessacapturingofthereal.Butit’sonethatoperatesinanuneasyallianceoftheghostlyandtheconcrete.

LiNuTheLonelyLibrary2018Videowithsound03.51

WithLiuTongbin’sNo.15-21thehopeless0and1gamesofbinarylanguagearestruckthrough/struck-outwiththeprintmaker’s‘X’.Ifitmarkstheendofthatplateintraditionalprintmakinghereitfeelsmorelikeapositivedeclarationofintent–anopeningupofpossibilitiestoalargerlanguage.AsitturnsoutthisworkandNo.15-08arejusttwofromasetof45woodcuttransferprintscapturingaproceduralcrisis.Leavinghiswellestablishedroutinesbehindforhands,chopsticks,scrapersandslabsofink,masterprintmakerLiuTongbinpullsgesturalandmaterialphysicalityintoasharedspacewiththeflattenedfieldsofthegraphic.

LiuTongbinNo.15-212016Woodcuttransfer,printers’inkonpaper31x47cm

ConverselywithPJHickman’simmaculateworksanysignofthepainterlygestureiscompletelyremoved.Stackedpaintings,featuringidenticalpre-primedblackcanvas,sitalongsideboxesmadefromarchivalcardboard.Thereisaconsistentremovalofthehandandanynotionthatitmightbetheconduitofmeaning.Insteadtheartist’straceisreadthroughitsveryabsenceinacuriousactofnegationthatironicallysignalsitsownhighlycriticalformalcontent.Atthesametime,questionsofartascommodityandsuitablemodesofdisplayarehighlighted,albeitwithinahighlyformalandminimalistinspiredvisuallanguage.

Carvingoutaspacebetweenlanguageandimage,abstractminimalistconcernsalsoappearinthepracticeofJosephineMead.ReadfromonepointofviewtheindividualphotosofTheMarkingofferapossiblesequenceofeventsinanunconfirmednarrativeofthebody.Butasmuchasthegrammarispoeticandfilmic,theslightestofshiftsseesanothertypeoflanguageinplay.HereI’mthinkingabouttheindividualsubjectsbecomingalmostsecondarytotheneedsoftheimmaculatelyframedobjectanditsplaceasaunitwithinthegroup,jump-cuttingandstutteringitswayupthewall.

PJHickmanA2019Pre-primedblackgessoonMasoniteandtimber,blue-greycorrugatedarchivalcardboard61x91.5eachcanvasandboxwithcustom-madetimbertables(installationvariable)

JosephineMeadTheMarking.2018Setofinkjetprintson310gsmIlfordFibreGlosspaper,createdfromscannedfilmphotographs,withcustom-madeVictorianAshframes29.5x43.2cmeach

InDanicaChappell’sphotographicworkswithouttraditionalphotography,theresultingimagesfrequentlyappeartohavebeenbuiltratherthancaptured.Usingalmostalchemicalcombinationsof1850stintypephotoprocesses,andmultiplephotogramexposures,thereisaconsistentlayeringtothefinishedworkswiththethinnessandpotentialemptinessofthetraditionalphotoas‘picture’(silvergelatinordigital)replacedbythisideaofitasconstructed‘object’.TheFermataseriesoffersussomethingoperatingnotonly‘in’butalso‘through’timeasthephotographicmediumismademalleable,allviaactionsandmaterialsasakintoprocess-drivenabstractpaintingasanythingwecall‘photography’.

DanicaChappellFermata#172016Tintype,framed56x41cm

IfpicturesaremissinginDanicaChappell’sconceptionofphotography,JoyceHuanggivesusinkpaintingbeyondink.WithIndustrialInk(BLACK)2019shecontinuesherexplorationsofliteratitraditionsreplacingthemeticulouslymeasureduseofinkwithglacialbodiesofresinandpurepigmentstocreatesomethingbetweensculptureandpainting.It’sdemonstrablyfreeofnarrativeandyettheaestheticremainscuriouslyattachedtothosemodelsofink,paper,stoneandwater,nomatterthedegreetowhichthepiecesintheirmaterialsandstagingalsoreacttoapost-industrialaesthetic.Isshedraggingthepastforwardoristhepastdraggingherback?

JoyceHuangIndustrialInk(Black)2019Resinandinkglue30x20cm(irregular)

Formanyartistsandviewers,geometricabstractionhasbecomeassociatedwiththemostfrontalofpaintingtypesinacarefullyframed,nowhistoricized,modelofitself.LikeanumberoftheartistsinthisexhibitionAndrewLeslietakesthatpotentialproblemasacatalyst.WithhispaintedobjectslikeLOOP2018thereisanactivereversalofanysuchgenericexpectations-withtherearofthesepiecespaintedtoprojectabstractform(sometimestext)backontothesupportingwallinrealtime.Indoingsotheworkbecomeslargerthanitself,embracingthearchitecturalsetting,reactingtochanginglightandviewingangles,somakinghisLOOPverymuchofthispresentmoment.

AndrewLeslieLOOP2018Acrylicpolymeronanodizedaluminium120x98cm

ThepaintingsofQuFengguotypicallycapturethetimeoftheirmakinginarelentlessline-by-linebodily/ocularexercise.Thebuildupofthesegraphicscaffoldsisthenallowedtobreakopenviaglitches,cutsandbleeds.ForActsofReversalhedisassemblesthemoreovertlygeometric,hardedgeapproachofhislargerscalecanvases,insteadmakingexplicitaconnectiontotheorganicmarkandflowofthecalligraphic.Dedicationtomaterialandothermattersremainswiththesestrokesworkingwiththeweftofthepaper,creatingcarefullycontrolledhorizontalfields,withinwhichQuFengguo’sbrushplayfullyswitchesbetweengeometricandorganicrealms.

QuFengguoUntitled2019Acrylicpolymeronpaper56.5x75.5cm

SimonMorris’neatreversingofcompositionaldecisionsbetweentwoexact(thereforenecessarilyinexact)panels,replacesnotionsofthefinishedworkwithakindof‘stuckinthemiddlewithyou‘moment.Ratherthanatimely,sequentialstart-to-finishreadingofthepaintingasmasterfulandmasteredobjectweinsteadgetanexperienceofconstantmotion,caughtupinadynamicinterchangethattakesusintoaplaceclosertotheactualmakingofthepiece.Thisundoingoftheendmomentisfurtherhelpedalongbytheuseofsurfacereflectionandmirroring,drawingamovingviewerandthetemporalitiesoftimeandlightintoservice,ensuringthattheartwork(andourownworkasviewer)isneverquite‘done’.

SimonMorrisAwholeandtwohalves,twohalvesandawhole2019Acrylicpolymer,canvasandwood30x30cmeach(2parts)

InCraigEaston’scasetheartwork,asobjectinthelandscape,becomestheobjectofthephotographwhichtheninitswaybleedsbackoutintobecomingapainting.Thisthingismarkedasbothpainted‘in’and‘on’thelandscape,whilethemeansandplaceofmakingalsobecomethework.ThetitleChineseLandscapePaintingalludestothesedualities,asdoestheuseofaverticalscrollformatandbatons.Theconstantswitchingsignalsadesireforfluiditywithaconflationoflanguagesdigital,painterly,abstract,realistandotherwise.

CraigEastonChineseLandscapePainting2018/19(detail)Digitalprintwithfluorescentspraypaintandacrylicpolymeronsilvermirrorbatons175x38cm

SunWenguanDragonLane2017Digitalprintmountedonaluminium30x40cm;TheThreeImaginations2017Oiloncardboard,15x14cm(irregular)

SunWenguangivesusthehumblestoflittlepaintingsoncard.Iwasnevercertainifthiswasathoughtbubble,aflyingsaucerorcloudandrain.Iknowtheanswernowbutholdontotheinitialthought.ItmakessensethatthisquestionmarkofapaintingshouldsitbesideaphotoworkdocumentinghismammothDragonLaneprojectwherehetookabstractionoutintothefields,suggestingtoapoorruralcommunityinGuizhouProvincethatcash-croppingstrawberrieswasawaytoimprovetheirlives,whilstgettingagiantoutdoorabstractlightsculptureaspartofthedeal.Foronceit’simpossibletodisentangletheartworkfromitsrealworldfunctionality.WhereSunWenguanusesapaintingsensibilitytomaterializeabstractforminthelandscape,AlexandraKennedytakesonthefullscapeofabstractpainting–workingitspossibilitiesthroughfromtheinsideout.HereintheUrbanVoidseriessheconsidersideasaroundtheholesinspacecreatedbyelectronicanddigitaltechnologies,reworkingtheconceptasacuriouslyphysicalaestheticofthevoid.Wewatchonasthepaintingsjoyfullystakeoutanedgeterritoryseesawingbetweentheprocedural,materialemphasisofnon-objectivemodelsandhighconceptualpractice.Thisnever-quite-finishedstateofaffairsisaconstantrunningthroughtheworksgatheredforActsofReversal.Materialandimmaterial.LostsomewhereontheshelvesofLiNu’sLonelyLibrary,floatingintheblackpoolsofJoyceHuang’sresin,trappedasaghostedimprintinoneofLouiseWeaver’ssurfaces,oroutinthefieldsconstructingwithSunWenguan,wecontinueourwalkthroughuncertainspaces.Backwards.Forwards.Sideon.Intheend,the‘actsofreversal’thatmattermostcansimplybereadasthedailystrategiesoftheartist;smallpointsofresistancetotheeasilyconsumedpictureorreadilyansweredquestion.Theunravelingthatoccursthroughtheseactsshouldn’tbetakenasaninherentlynegativegesture,moreathoughtfulslippingintothegapsbetweenfixedwaysoflooking,being,sayinganddoing.It’sthestuffthatkeepsabstractionmovingforwards,evenifitsometimesgoesintoreversetogetthere.China.Australia.NewZealand.Australia,China,NewZealand.Ineverpromisedyouclarity.Let’shopeanartofabstractionneverdoeseither.I’lltellyounolies.CraigEastonShanghai,May2019

AlexandraKennedyUrbanVoid2019Oiloncanvas76x61cm

ACTSOFREVERSALSomeabstractionfromChina,NewZealandandAustraliaSUNWENGUAN(CHINADANICACHAPPELL(AUST)SIMONMORRIS(NZ)JOYCEHUANG(CHINA)PJHICKMAN(AUST)LINU(CHINA)ANDREWLESLIE(AUST)ALEXANDRAKENNEDY(NZ)QUFENGGUO(CHINA)JOSEPHINEMEAD(AUST)CRAIGEASTON(AUST/NZ)LIUTONGBIN(CHINA)LOUISEWEAVER(AUST)ThiscatalogueaccompaniesACTSOFREVERSAL:SomeabstractionfromChina,NewZealandandAustraliaCuratedbyCraigEastonandPJHickmanforFiveWalls3Julyuntil20July2019FiveWallsSuites2,3,&4,Level1/119HopkinsSt,Footscray,3011Einfo@fivewalls.com.auWwww.fivewalls.com.auOpenWed-Sat12-5pmAcknowledgementsAllphotoscourtesyoftheartistsexceptLouiseWeaver:Photography:MarkAshkanasy.CourtesytheartistandDarrenKnightGallery,Sydney;DanicaChappell:ImagecourtesyoftheartistandBartley+CoArt,Wellington;SimonMorris:Photography:ShaunWaugh.RepresentedbyTwoRooms,AucklandandKreislerGallery,NewPlymouthSpecialthankstoAaronMartinofFiveWallsCataloguedesign:CraigEaston©ThiscataloguecopyrightCraigEaston,PJHickman&FiveWalls.Allartists’rightsreserved

ISBN978-0-9807019-4-4

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