Visual Art
‘WILKES’ ALLUSIONS ARE ELUSIVE'
‘She’s Pregnant Again’ by Kathie Wilkes
Vene ian minds
Jack Mottram welcomes this year’s critically acclaimed Scotland-based Venice Biennale exhibitors back into the fold.
(’lt’t‘lll't’ .Ilt'mory' is a homccoming. a chancc l'or Scottish yicwcrs to cngagc with thc work prcscntcd on their hchall at thc \cnicc Bicnnalc. This show is much morc than that. though. Rathcr than simply corral a grottp ol strong artists working in Scotland -r atid :\lc.\ Pollard. ('athy \Vilkcs and .Ioannc 'I'atham and Tom ()'Su|li\'an arc ccrtainly that thc curating tcam of Jason Ii Bowman and Rachcl Bradlcy chosc to locus on a sharcd mcthodology. "I'hc rcason why wc sclcctcd thc practiccs wc chosc to work with was that cach ol thcm had a ycry spccil'ic rclationship to how thcy undcrstand. motiyatc and challcngc thcir own dynamics towards yisual Ianguagcs.‘ says Bowman. 'l‘his grouping works wondcrl'ully. but it also hacklircs. 'I‘atham and ()‘Sulliyan‘s stock-in—tradc is thc manipulation ol‘ a concise yocahulary ol imagcs. allusions and rcsonant phrascs. always rc~positioning. sidc-stcpping and skcwing that which thcy prcscnt. 'l‘hcy hayc not. howcy'cr. hccn \cry sclcctiy‘c in thcir rcmcmhcring licrc. 'I'hcir cshihit muddlcs togcthcr past works. a sort of Visual glossolalia. a tottrcttic rcpctition ol past practicc. ()l‘ coursc. this might hc thc point. with 'I’atham and ()‘Sulliyan sct'y‘ing. oncc again. as thc sand in thc Vasclinc oi contcmporary art - hut thc art hcap I‘orccs a rc-cyaluation: thcsc arc cinpty' attcmpts to irritatc. Al‘tcr that. thc studicd sclllrcllcsiy'ity ol :\lc\ I’ollard is a hlcsscd rclicl‘. l’ollard makcs work that
c‘\;llilillc‘s his own practicc. and thc ycry husincss (it
making art. casting hrushcs. pcncils. rulcrs and Icnding thcm a littlc lilc. In 'l’igurcs'. a punch is thrown by a man madc ol sculptcd pcncils. In “Wall I)rawing’. hands madc ol' rulcrs makc marks across thc gallcry. ‘Bcast’ r a dinosaur with ruIcr—limhs
paradcs across parodics ol' muscum display tahlcs.
108 THE US? ‘7'; Dc 1" ” :3 .in" L".
l’ollard's tastc l'or thc ahsurd sccks to rcmind tts ol
thc absurdity ol making art. his cy chrow raiscd at his ti\\ ll I‘t‘l‘lt‘L‘lltilI.
.-\nd so to ('athy \Vilkcs. an artist whosc grcatncss and that is thc right word rcsts in part on thc impossibility oi dcscrihing. analysing or undcrstanding hcr work. To list thc clcmcnts that makc tip hcr installation hcrc is almost an al'l'ront to thcir wholcncss. ’I’hcrc arc manncquins with paintings l‘or I‘accs. a tclcy ision. a tank l‘illcd with fluid. lilow'cr pctals. hattcrics. hrokcn howls and doll parts. All arc asscmhlcd with a l'ormal rigour. a ncar-prctcrnatural tmdcrstanding oi spacc. drawing iny'isihlc lincs to conncct constitucnt parts. \Vilkcs' allusions arc also clusiyc. a priyatc mattcr hctwccn artist and \icw'cr. onc licst lcl‘t unyoiccd. \Vhich Icads its to ‘.\Iost \Vomcn .\'c\cr Iispcricncc'. \Vilkcs’ moy'c into y idco. 'I‘hc soundtrack ladcs whcncycr lips moy'c. allowing a succcssion ol‘ domcstic sccncs to untold. tmhindcrcd hy thc intcrprctahility ol' spokcn languagc a child laltcrs at thc top ol' thc stairs. a prcgnant woman moy cs ahotit thc housc and. again. w c arc lcl't awarc that \Vilkcs wants us to scc thcsc itnagcs. now. knowing only that thcy arc conncctcd.
\Vilkcs’ work much morc than 'I‘atham and ()‘Stilliy'aiis hlow'sy poscs. morc cycn than I’ollard’s assurcd. amuscd cssay on lhc making ol' art rcwards thc potcntial risk thc curators took in grouping artists according to lllcil‘ tlcycloptllt‘llt ol- L‘ltlsctl y'ocahularics: hcrs is an artistic languagc that cannot hc undcrstood. attracting and rcpulsing in cqual mcasurc. hut onc that ol‘l'crs grcat rcwards to thosc that attctnpt in min to tmdcrstand it.
Selective Memory: Scotland and Venice, SNGMA, until Sun 5 March 0000
Hit
THE BEST EXHIBITIONS
* Selective Memory The Scottish-based artists ~ Alex Pollard, Cathy Wilkes. Tatham and O'Sullivan — who represented the country in the second Scottish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. return to show us what all the fuss was about. The show includes work first shown at Venice and new installations, drawings and prints. See review. left. Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, until Sun 5 March.
=l= Nick Evans - Some Newer Formalisms Minimalism and expression are put on trial by Nick Evans in a show of new sculptures. The work examines quasi- monumentality. where heavy clay becomes thin and light. and throwaway polystyrene becomes something more profound. See review, page 109. Sorclia Dal/as Gallery, Glasgow, until Sat 27 Jan.
* Metro Koizumi New films by the acclaimed Japanese artist are installed in the domestic space (the last time work will be shown on these premises). The films attempt to capture and slowly dominate the viewers by pulling them into a web of references in evocative scenes that tap into lost memory and corporeality. See preview, page 109. Mary Mary, Glasgow, until Fri 76 Dec.
* Western . . . er? The continually evolving coterie of artists. designers and their ilk present new works based around Cervantes' Don Quixote. Readymades. wood sculptures and porcelain figures that have passed through some of Glasgow‘s best constructors of domestic objet d’art fill the Project Rooms and take over the hallway outside. Project Rooms, Tramway, Glasgow, until Sun 18 Dec.