Jade‘s crit

A piece of black fabric, embroidered with three images of hands, is nailed to the wall. The rough edges, untrimmed thread and the display of the piece at the first sight suggest that the piece is not finished. But once we notice the tension created by the embroidery and nails, it is obvious that all these elements contribute to the dynamics of the piece. 

 Three images of hands, creating a sequence of some sort, show three phases of a clenched fist. This adds a certain punch to the piece. The fragile looking embroidery is used to express this powerful gesture. It also seems as if the hands were pulling the fabric underneath them. The exploitation of material is obviously enjoyed and expressed so it seems like the piece is rather process-driven, yet there is something intriguing about the theme of hands and gestures that adds to the overall effect of the piece. Although the scale may seem a bit hesitant, it could be considered as another element of the contrast between the delicate embroidery and the strong gesture.

BURJAN’S REBUSES

from Urbanica series

RNDr. Vlado Burjan is a maths teacher. His career as a photographer started in 2004 when he presented a series of abstract geometric compositions found in streets of Bratislava at an amateur photo competition.  His photos are geometric compositions. Maybe because Burjan is a maths teacher, his work is based on geometry, visual harmony and order and it subtly expresses fascination with colour and structure.  As the author himself puts it:

"I like finding tiny sections of the world that are nice and pretty, because the world is fundamentally chaotic and dirty. My typical images - with geometric lines, shapes and structures show that as a rational man I like order and symmetry - as in mathematics, where we have everything in order. " (Otvoreny  list fotografom 2011.... [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.fopa.sk/clanok.asp?rubrika=9. [Accessed 09 November 2011].)

from Geometrica series

I first became familiar with his work through Rébusy (Rebuses), a thin paperback published by MEET Photo in 2007. It is a selection of Burjan’s early work comprising of four sections- Urbanica, Symbolica, Geometrica, and Graphica. What really made me delve into his work were quotes by Robert Silverio, photographer and photography theorist from Prague from his publication Postmodern Photography accompanying the photographs:

“There exist visual games which tell the great story of mankind’s fight against the nature. The first one speaks by means of elementary forms and shapes, the second one by the use of order or chaos in the composition of the work of art. When I introduce strict geometric shapes and Euclidean geometry, straight lines, right angles, circles (even in a non-figurative manner) into an image, I tell the story of the civilization – in most cases a legitimising story. A square, a rectangle, a triangle or a straight line, are human products.”  (quote from Postmoderní fotografie. NAMU, Praha 2007; translated for Rebusy. MEET PHOTO, Bratislava 2007 by Ing. Martin Pisarcik, Phd., Lasertrans)

from Geometrica series

 The display of geometric shapes and structures in the urban environment is quite intriguing, especially when these images of “everyday geometry” are strengthened by the obvious presence and importance of colour. Burjan’s motifs are symmetry and straight lines but there is more to see in his minimalistic compositions. They may not necessarily be speaking about mankind fighting nature; they rather show the symbiosis of the two, which is essential within urban life. They celebrate the beauty of the city and the human element of it. 

Gerhard Richter: Panorama exhibition review

Gerhard Richter: Panorama

6 October 2011- 8 January 2012

TATE MODERN

London

As the title of this exhibition suggests, its aim is to show the variety of Richter’s practice throughout different points in his life. It consists of 14 rooms, each dedicated to a different period of his career. It is a mixture of abstract and realistic paintings, glass and mirror installations, photographs and drawings. The pieces are laid out in chronological order.

I think the way this exhibition is laid out fairly sensible. It really does give the sense of an overview of Richter’s diverse practice. However, it may only be my personal inclination towards the abstraction; I find the mixed rooms of abstract and realistic pieces together a bit disruptive. Also, the window and mirror pieces don’t appeal to me at all as they feel irrelevant and disturb the continuity of the exhibition. Nonetheless, I appreciate the vibrancy created by the change of ambiance in every room. Especially in Room4- Grey paintings and colour charts. The position of the Grey monochrome and 4096 colours created a very nice buzzing tension.

Personally, I think the last room Cage paintings was the most exciting one. Not only because of the theme of the paintings which I can myself relate to (Richter was listening to John Cage’s music whilst working on these and although there is not a direct connection to any of Cage’s musical pieces some critics have suggested some similarities between the two artists’ approaches to the idea of instability and space). I think that the 6 huge abstract canvases, covering the walls of a white room were just overwhelming. The notion of space in Richter’s paintings positioned in a blank space of the gallery room worked really well. Also, the fact that these were placed in a separate room made them feel like a great finale of this exhibition which only added to the strength of the display.