Film for Painted Television by Mark Schmiedl |
The collection of abstract works at Polychrome appears
austere at first sight but an underlying vitality soon becomes apparent. They
range from the expressive to the experimental, paintings to sculpture and
combinations of the two. There are 13 artists in the show and it’s called Snow
Scud…a climate thing said Mary Patterson. It’s a loose theme. Here in Victoria
we try to stay ahead of real winters. In the window is ‘Transporter 3 (Flock)’
by Charles Campbell’s. He has incorporated cut and printed birdlike forms into
a Buckminster Fuller type of geodesic ball which suggests circular migration.
Also in the window are some small pieces by Tyler Hodgins. Magnetic tape
embedded in plastic. Tyler’s more accessible work is gaining acceptance in
Victoria as public art. He’s also part of ‘Show Down’ at AGGV later this month
during which his latest public project, ‘Sleeping Bag’, can be seen at various
locations throughout the city. Tar is a viscous tacky substance. Donna Eichel
uses it in rhythmic strokes, along with other substances to create rich
visceral‘… mindscapes with their own psychological or emotional geography.’ In
the two paintings at Polychrome she employs oil paint on plexiglass to much the
same effect. Her work has been described as “cave paintings from a distant past
or possible future”. As I’m musing on
Caite Dheere’s vaguely Twomblyesque minimalisms glowing through layers of
encaustic and thinking how they could easily grow on one over time, I can’t
help noticing an old dude wandering around making notes on scraps of paper. Is
he a critic? What’s a critic doing in Victoria? What sort of stuff does he
write I wonder. Intellectual exegesis for academics? Snotty artspeak for the incrowd? Short words and bad speling 4 twitter peeps?
I have the same problem myself. Never quite sure what style to use. And these
group shows are tricky. Don’t want to leave anybody out. It’s good to know that
Karl Spreitz is still going strong. The works on display are from 1975,
geometric forms that look surprisingly fresh and contemporary. Ingrid Mary
Percy’s calligraphic charcoal shapes on paper may be related to the Spirograph forms I remember seeing at Deluge Gallery. Mark
Schmiedl’s work is hard to get a handle on. That may well be his intention.
There are suggestions of Kandinsky and Motherwell but not in a derivative
sense. A statement on his website says his paintings ‘…aspire to be
self-interupting.’ An unintentional slip but curiously apt somehow. The
wonderfully titled ‘Film for Painted Televisions’ is a large painting where
abstract forms almost, but not quite, become recognizable objects. Meanwhile Lance
Olsen pauses his walkabout across the Australian outback with its Antipodean
earth-tones and dreamtime tracks to show a brooding but strangely
celebratory undated acrylic on paper work called ‘Death by Proxy # 3’. The show
also features work by Cody Haight, David Gifford and PJ Kelly. Plus there’s
another chance to see some of Shawn Shepherd’s sliced up hockey pucks. I’m not
going to single anyone out for special attention. Some of the works spoke to me
more than others but let’s not get into what John Luna calls the ‘autocritical
mist’. I’m no Jerry Saltz and I want to go on living in Victoria. Artists want
cheerleaders anyway, not critics. So think of this as a sort of prose poem. My
version of Subterranean Homesick Blues with a quip or two tossed into the mix.
Something to do on a cold but sunny Sunday. Kudos to Polychrome for putting
together an interesting collection of artists. Apologies if I left anybody out.
All I have to do now is sit back and wait for the usual barrage of comments. It’s
snowing as I write which may be significant. One more thing. I was going to
mention the Carmen Tisch school of art criticism. Carmen you may remember is
the tattoo artist from Denver who got a little emotional at a Clyfford Still
retrospective. She rubbed her bare bum against a canvas apparently causing
$10,000 worth of damage (to the painting). I was going to say something about
not seeing Carmen at Polychrome. A silly joke that suddenly doesn’t seem very
amusing. I can’t say I knew Jamer Duderon well. Saw him around that’s all. But
he was too young to die. It’s very sad.
Snow Scud
Jan. 15 to Feb. 2, 2012
Polychrome Fine Arts
You always teach me something, Philip. And your quips always make me smile. Perhaps artists need your cheers, leading to those coveted warm feelings which hopefully generate more and better work. I know your cheering has been effective and look forward to continued rah-rahs from you. I had planned on attending this show, and with your insightful description, it promises intrigue. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Debora...and thanks to Efren for giving us a place to write.
ReplyDeleteYES - Efren, and Exhibit-v is a godsend.
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