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Page 1: Special Insert for Front Magazine Volume XXII, Number 2

lloverNorthAmerica,municipalitiesareembracingtheideaofthe“creativeeconomy”andthe“creativeclass,”aspopularizedbyRichardFlorida,inabidtofindameansforurbanregenerationasthemanufacturingbaseoftheeconomyatrophies.Artistscouldpotentiallybenefitfromthisshiftinperspective.Artistsareakindofknowl-edgeworker,perhapsthefirstofthekind,andmaynowtakeacentraloressentialroleintheburgeoningknowledgeorinformationeconomy.Unfortunately,artiststradeinakindofknowledgethatisoftenarcane,occult,dark,andirrational,whichmaynotgodownsoeasilyinaneconomypredicatedonutility,convenience,andthesenseofentitlementoftheconsumer.Itisasifthepossessionofthisknowledgecomeswithacurse,notunliketheGreekmyth’sCassandra,whosufferedfromthefactthatnoonebelievedinherpow-erfulgiftofprophecy.Nevertheless,successfulartistsareabletotradeinthisknowledgebyperformingakindofalchemythattransubstantiatesmerematerialdrossintoculturalgold.If,asToronto-basedartistScottLyallhasquipped,arthastwodestinies,eithertobepickedupbyanartcollectororthegarbagecollector,thensuccessfulartistsarethosewhocanmagicallyconjureupafetishortotemthatwillbespiritedtoastorehouseforposter-ity.Someartistsbearthepossessionofthismagicalknowledgewell.Therearethosewhohappilyprofitfromit,buttherearealsothosewhoseconsciencegetsthebetterofthem.

Fromtheevidenceofferedbyarecentexhibitionofhisworks,theKingston-basedartistDonMaynardmakesashowofthelatter,unhappyconscience.Theexhibition,entitledFranken Forest,traveledfromtheAgnesEtheringtonArtCentreinKingstontotheRobertMcLaughlinGalleryinOshawaoverthecourseoftheyear2010.CuratedbyJanAllenandLindaJansma,respectivecuratorsofcontemporaryartforthetwocentres,theexhibitionbroughttogetheranumberofMaynard’smostrecentworks.Eachworkraisesaquestionabouttheroleoftheartistanditsmaterialimplications.

TheFranken Forestexhibition,asitwasinstalledfromMaytoAugust,2010attheAgnesEtheringtonArtCentreinKingston,Ontario,openedonadisquietingnote.Evenbeforeyouwereinsidethegallery,youcouldseeBird in the House(2010),amixedmediasculpturalinstallationwithelectronics,throughtheglassofthedoorsattheentrance.Dimandforebod-ing,theworkestablishedattheoutsetthechillofapassingshadow.Onceinside,anominoussoundscapeofroaringwindandemphaticbirdcallsfilledtheair,andthoughonlyaboutthreefeettall,Bird in the Houseimmediatelyloomedwithinyourfieldofvision.Asimpleformofahousemadewithfabricandawoodenframe,itwasilluminatedfromwithin,theonlylightsourceforthepiece,whichcastashadowonitsexteriorofamechanizedbirdsilhouettecareeningwithinitsenclosedwalls,likeamalevolentmagiclantern.Themuffledsoundofaninjuredbirdunabletotakeflightemanatedfromwithin,liketheworkingsofadilapidatedcontraption.Inoldsuperstitions,abirdinthehouseisanomenofdeath,sothepiece,thoughlightinitsmaterialsimplicity,alsomanifestsabalefuledge,notonlyevokingthechildhoodrealmoffolklore,butalsomythsformorematureaudiences.Therustlingoftheconfinedbird,trappedinitscircuitbringstomindonceagainthecursedfigureofaCassandra,nowraspingafterhavinglosthervoice,herdirepredictionsstillunheeded.

InthenextroomoneenteredtheFranken Forestproper,amixedmediainstallationwithvideo,whichresembledamadscientist’slabofgeneticallymodifiedmonstersasmuchasitdidaclearinginthewoods.Distortedanddeformedtrunksandlimbsgatheredinacircleabovewhichhoveredavideocanopy,aportalaboutsixfeetindiameterthatpresentedanunstablesky,clearbluebutnotcalm,agitatedbystop-motionanimation,time-lapse,cloudmovements,aircurrentsandhectic,swirlingcameramovements.Eight“Franken-trees”stoodatanarrayofheightsfromastumpdownlowtoaslendertrunkthatreachedtheceiling.Onetreebristledwithscrews,another,paintedandgored,resembledarottenbirch.OnewasstrangulatedwithanexcessofstrungChristmaslights.Onewasscorchedandcobbledtogetherwithdiscsofcastglass.One’ssmoothalbinosurfacewasprickledwithfine

finishnails.Onehadfaux-finishbarkinencaustic.Inanother,blocksofscuffedandchippedglasswerethreadedthroughwitharusted-outspine.Ascoredandtwistedlogpastedwithband-aidsrosecrookedfromthefloorlikeadismemberedlimb’slastgesturebeforerigor mortissetin.Withintheblasted,infernalstumpthatactedasakindofcentrepiece,avideoofbabystarlingsscreechingforfoodwasnested.Thewholeoftheinstallationrepresentsakindoftravestyofnature,acounterfeit,cobbledtogetherstand-inthatisabhorrent,likeFrankenstein’smonsterinMaryShelly’snovel.AlinktotheFrankensteinstory,themonstrousandcautionarytaleofsciencemeddlingwiththeforcesofnature,isexplicitinMaynard’stitleforthepiece.Onemustrememberthat,inthesubtitletothenovel,Fran-kensteinistheModernPrometheus,alsoamythicfigurewhosetransmissionofknowledgewasmoreofacursethanablessing.Remember,afterPrometheusgavethegiftoffiretothehumanrace,Zeuspunishedhimbytyinghimtoarockandlettinganeaglefeastonhislivereveryday.Astheartistwhohascraftedthesemalignantartifices,MaynardseemstopositionhimselfsomewherebetweenaPost-ModernPrometheusandaCassandra:Hemakesruin-ouspredictionsatthesametimethatheisimplicatedintheoutcome.Whileconsideringtheimplications,itwillbeimportanttonoteanundercurrentofhumourintheworkthatkeepsitsdreadfulweightinessafloat.

Beforedrawinganyconclusions,afinalpieceintheexhibitionremainstobeconsidered,anditisentitledFlock(2009).Fromadistance,whatlookstobeaswarmofevanescentmetallicmothshoversandcoversthefarthestandlongestwallinthenextgallery.Itisasiftheyarepinnedtothewall’ssurfacebythelightprojectedonit,insteadofdrawntothelight’ssource.Uponcloserexaminationonefindsthateachoftheoveronehundredshim-meringitemsisatabloid-sizedsheetofaluminum,foldedintotheformofachild’spaperairplane,thenoseofeachpiercingthewall.HereMaynard’sroguishplayfulness,likeabookiewiththehouseadvantage,ismorefullyrevealed.Flockcapturesatonceasenseofforce,velocity,stasis,andlightness,initsfeatheryrefractionsandmodestmeans,liketheformationofaflockofbirdsfrozeninmidswoop.ThesleightofhandinoperationinthisworkrevealsMaynard’smostcommonstock-in-trade:thetransformationandtransporta-tionofcommonindustrialmaterialsintotherarifiedrealmofart.ExamplesofhispreviousworksincludeTidal Mass(2007),amassivelyminimalistsculpturalwavethatincorpo-ratedthousandsofeight-footfluorescenttubesthatwerediscardedinEasternOntario,andLooks Like Rain(2009),largelyaneffectoflightthatwasgeneratedbyagiantpileofsimilarlyabandonedpyrexrods.MaybeMaynardshouldmorefittinglybereferredtoasthePost-IndustrialPrometheus.Inthelightofhisworkonecandescryageneraleconomythatcannotdeny,evenrelishes,hugeexpendituresofenergyandwastevilifiedbythepreceptsofathrifty,restrictiveeconomy.The“AccursedShare”ofa“generaleconomy”asdefinedbythetheoristandpornographerGeorgesBattailleisthatsurpluspartoftheeconomicsystemthatisvertiginouslyoutsideofhumancontrol,onethatartiststouchuponintheirillusions.Artistscanaccessthispart,Batailleargues,becausetheyknowallaboutevil.Artistsmaynotnecessarilybeevil,butgenerallytheyareguiltyascharged.

a special insert published in collaboration with front magazine.

Artists may not necessarily be evil, but generally they are guilty as charged.

The two-page spreadyounowholdinyourhandscomescourtesyofSyphon,apublicationofModernFuelArtist-RunCentreinKingston,Ontario.ThisspecialinsertisthefirstresultofanexchangeundertakenbythecreativeteamsatFrontandSyphon.ItannouncestheupcomingthemeofthenextissueofSyphon,“ArtandtheEconomy,”whichwillalsofeatureaspecialinsertfromFrontmagazine.Watchoutforitlaterthisyear.

DON MAYNARD’S “FRANKEN FOREST” LET LOOSE ON AN AGHAST PUBLIC AND THE CONSEQUENCES ARE CHILLING.

By Michael Davidge

Page 2: Special Insert for Front Magazine Volume XXII, Number 2

By Michael Davidge

Bird in the House,2010Wood,cloth,recordplayer,lightbulb,

aluminium,ipod,speakersphoto by chantal rousseau

Tidal Mass,20072200used8’florescentlights,220mini

florescentlights,3/8steelrod,hardwarephoto by chris miner

Franken Forest,2008Cedarlogs,drywallscrews,nails,Christmaslights,glass,wax,paper,steelphoto by chris miner

Flock,2009Aluminiumphoto by don maynard

michael davidge is currently the Artistic Director of Modern Fuel Artist-Run Centre in Kingston, Ontario. He is a curator, an artist, and a writer. His writing on art and culture has appeared in Parachute, Matrix, and Black-Flash magazine, among other publications.

vincent perez is a designer, letterpress printer and artist living in Kingston, Ontario.He is the art director and co-editor of Syphon, Modern Fuel ARC’s arts publication.

If you’re interested in contributing content or subscribing to Syphon, please contact us at [email protected] or visit us onlineat www.modernfuel.org/syphon.

...art has two destinies, either to be picked up by an art collector or the garbage collector...

don maynard is a Kingston based artist working in mixed media and has exhibited across Canada and the U.S., and his work is in the collection of The Department of For-eign Affairs, University of Toronto and the Canada Council Art Bank. Maynard’s prac-tice frequently involves utilizing the detritus of the modern world where he transformsthe cast-off material of society into work that makes reference to nature and natural phenomena.