Thursday, November 28, 2013

"Difference and Repetition art exhibit review by Dom Fetherston

Exhibition Review "Difference and Repetition" Curated by Efren Quiroz Slide Room Gallery Victoria, BC 

This show was inspired by a French philosopher who wrote a book titled "Difference and Repetition." Gilles Deleuze theorized that the notion of difference and repetition reflected that when something old is repeated, it transforms into something completely new. 

Efren Quiroz invited a group of thirty artists to provide individual interpretations of one abstract painting by Gerhard Richter: 1985 60 cm x 60 cm Catalogue Raisonné: 587-5, oil on canvas (1985). 

Oil on canvas regurgitation is the theme. The show is a collection of individual interpretations of one abstract painting. Efren's attempt to experiment with Deleuze's theory of repetition and difference resulted in a giddy mixture of fervent intellectualism with a colliding group of controlled taxonomy of virtual remakes. About half of the works were little more than repetitive reworkings of the original with various tweaks of color and/or texture adjustments. In contrast, there were artists who were inspired to provide more than mere remakes of the original. The few who stepped outside of the practice of copying, provided pieces that drew the eye and the mind, and were informed by experience and thought. This is where the art of this exhibition happened. 

When it comes to difference coming from repetition in relation to this body of work, Deleuze's notion is apparently only half true. The final result is largely a controlled recording, a repetitive account that classifies one image by several people. Many of the works were under-inspired copies of the original. These works were not different. It was the advanced efforts by artists of original thought who confirmed the ideas put forth by Deleuze. 

Efren Quiroz is an enthusiastic art show viewer and videographer of exhibitions in Victoria, BC. This was his first attempt to curate an exhibition.

Dom Fetherson 

1 comment:

  1. Mary-ellen Threadkell and Melodie Hutmacher like this.

    ReplyDelete