correlation |ˌkɒrəˈleɪʃ(ə)n, -rɪ-|
noun
a
mutual relationship or connection between two or more things:
• [ mass noun ] the process of establishing a
relationship or connection between two or more things.
•
[ mass noun ] Statistics interdependence of variable
quantities.
Point-to-Point is an exhibition that
explores correlation being the relationship between two or more things. The
show negotiates the process of establishing a relationship between the
spectator and artwork, relationship within the work itself, and relation with
the artwork and artist. This is
reflected within the exhibited works through the varied media and intentions each
artist manifests in conversation to this show. Artists Gabriella Challis,
Eunbin Park, Eloise Worrall-Bader, Sally Bollinger, Mereama Matia and Evie
Aldridge exhibit artworks pertinent to the theme of correlation, which is presented
in several idiosyncratic examples.
Now faced to articulate what the
thinking and ideas behind the exhibition were is concisely wrapped into one multifaceted
word, which cohered within each artist’s studio practice. ‘Relations;’ being the
way in which two or more objects, concepts, or people are connected.[2]
These are relationships between audience and image, bodily relationships,
relationship between space and time, relationship between viewer and
perception, relationship between physical and emotional, relationship between
form and reality and so on. Relation can be adhered to almost any conversation
surrounding multiplicity, which is problematic when composing a cohesive show. Taking in the fact that each artists
brings their own façade of thinking and conversation to an exhibition, whilst also
each cognitively illustrate their own interpretation of the theme. This clarifies
reasoning to having a more defined and established theme to contextualise each
artwork in having a cohesive viewing experience.
Two facades of analytical thinking where established
from this umbrella idea. Firstly being perception and experiential within
relations, and secondly a cognitive possibility was movement and sequence being
the translation, location, and structure change within each of these artist
works, although this second idea did not perpetrate as it failed to uniformly
fit all of these artists and their intentions.
Correlations was a word that immersed within critical
research and analytical reflection into ‘relations.’ Originally noted for the
potential and inherent elucidation of the word ‘correlation,’ being the
connection or relationship of multiple things, emerged with more underlying
ideas that correlated accordingly within each artists studio works. Correlation
is a conversation between the viewer and the artwork, relation within the artwork
itself and the conversation between the artist and the artwork. Analytical
thought was also given within the statistical conditioning of correlation,
being that two or more variables can be describes as a numerical value. These
being ‘positive,’ ‘negative,’ ‘strong’ or ‘direct’ modifiers used before
correlation in context. For example there is no direct correlation connecting
the relationship that one viewer has with an artwork and the relationship
another viewer has with the same artwork. They are separate events, which don’t
rely on each other. This exhibition theme is clearly articulating the process
of establishing a relationship or conversation between multiple components
within each exhibiting work whilst also critiquing the interdependence of variable
quantities. The following quote by Marcel Duchamp analytically illustrates that
it is the audience who brings sense and cohesion to the exhibition theme as it is
by audience these correlations and conversations within the work form. “The
creative act is not performed by the artist alone; the spectator brings the
work in contact with the external world by deciphering and interpreting its
inner qualifications and thus adds his contribution to the creative act.”[3]
Each artist illustrates various interpretations in responding to
correlation. Some very literal whilst others remaining concealed or obscured.
In
entering the flow of the gallery we firstly approach the artwork of artist, Evie Aldridge who exhibits
biomorphic minuscule installation objects. These appearing concept free in their
own cognitive abstract form, are suggestive objects that evoke living
anthropomorphic figures. Within
their individual ambiguous shapes, colours, and markings, viewers are invited
to project their own opinions and interpretations on them. Correlating similarly to fellow
exhibiting artist, Sally Bollinger, these idiosyncratic objects are very much
about the relationship between the objects/artwork with the audience, as there
is a searching out and projecting of connections and relations.
Intricate detail is given to these objects, which draw
the viewer down into the installation layout. In the gallery context the forms
were lost within the floor obscurity, which I believe did not perpetrate this
idea successfully. The installation components I believe did not do the work justice;
maybe more consideration to how the viewer approaches and identifies the
artwork and how the forms operated in this space would have manifested a more cohesive
installation within operating in correlation to the exhibition
‘Point-to-Point.’ For example maybe condensing the objects would have brought
more cohesion into them having correlations/relationships within one artwork
rather than having a spread out colony formality which gave tension between
these groupings of objects. Condensing
the forms or a more appropriate space in the gallery also would change the way
the audience approaches the artwork, being not installed in a point of passage would
clearly define what the artwork was also.
Second exhibiting artist Gabriella Challis critiques the
correlating relationship of perception within psychology and social cognation
within sociology. The ‘esemplastic’ nature is shown by experiment: being an
ambiguous image has multiple interpretations on the perceptual level. The work
illustrates but also questions social perception, meaning we become aware of
the unconscious impressions and inferences we fabricate about people and
ultimately ourselves.
The work, which undeniably is an engaging piece on a
multiple of levels, encapsulates the audience to be immersed within the work
for sustained periods of time, as the viewer attempts to correlates the
perception given with the images. There is a very literal Point-to-Point
correlation within the idea, being how you think others perceive you, how you
perceive yourself, and how others actually perceive you. Correlations are drawn
between ‘their perceptions with your perception’ as the viewer identifies and
correlates with the images. This Point-to-Point correlation establishes
conversation with the audience to consider their own self-awareness.
The work appearing minimalistic in formality was bound
with an extensive amount of effort and conversation within sociological
encounters. The work I believe did not manifest itself in a way most
successful, being rich in content but poor in execution. The work appears to
have given secondary thought to the installation logistics of this piece. The formality of the work could have
been taken in numerous different presentations, being for example if the artist
wanted multiple viewer access, identical banks of photographs and books could
have perpetrated this successfully. Recorded conversations or computerized
interactions are all possibilities they may have manifested the key ingredients
more successfully.
Artist, Eunbin Park looks at the aesthetic quality and
physicality of paint within its relationship to surface structure. The artwork
responds within the idea of the experiential as the surface forms an idiosyncrasy
drapery that has a provisional installation quality, repudiates any form of
surface structure. Conversation between the relationship of painting and
sculpture, and relationship to object are drawn, protruding within the very raw
gestural way of responding to the paint and installation affects.
Right of this installation the artist has installed
three small canvases, which correlates an interesting consideration and conversation
surrounding the aesthetics of painting. These small artworks represent colour palates appearing in
flat planes of contaminated pastel colours. They work effectively in creating
sense and authority to the conversation surrounding the very raw painterly
affect in the work to the left. To perpetrate the idea of the gap between
something finalized and something in the process of being finalized, or the
correlation between imperfection and perfection may have been more successful
having given more detail to illustrating the ‘perfection.’ Being more attentive to details such as
the canvas quality and having pristine planes of solid colour would have
solidified this idea for me personally.
The forth-exhibiting artist, Eloise Worral-Bader looks
at the transcendence being the existence or experience beyond the normal or
physical level. An intimate relationship is conjured between the artist and
objects forward of entering a metaphorical conversation; giving ‘souls’ to these
inanimate objects. The energy field of relation unfolds and grows as it now
speaks to an audience. As the viewer approaches these self effacing objects we
are immediately liberated within a Point-to-Point impartial correlation as we
search for a rational linkage.
The sculptural faced of the artwork appears neither
functional nor comparable to reality although it denotes primitive relations within
the construction. Relations and
correlations can be identified contiguously within this work as artist and
object, viewer and object, or relation within the objects that are moving and
changing together as we ‘Point-to-Point’ are interpreting these
anthropomorphised objects.
The fifth exhibiting artist, Sally Bollinger exerts the everyday mundane, which questions and plays with
expectations. The mundane being at it simplest form conveys that content is
less important than the affect.
There is an obscured searching out for connections or
Point-to-Point correlations although it seems oblivious to what it may be you
are searching for, be it be segments, lights etc. There appears to be no frame
in the projection of this work, which eliminates any literal relation to size
or form, rather it references the whole wall. Bringing forward focus to the images,
light is drawn to an open platform for interpretations, which ultimately plays
with emergence. Whilst some of the lights are revealed as faces it is not all
resolved, having effect on the audience is more important than the fulfilment
of a possible narrative.
The final exhibiting artist, Mereama Matia directly interfaced the
socially constructed way of life with people’s perception to societal ways of
living. The political placement of
the artwork correlated a very literal point-to-point relationship. Your eye is
initially in a preliminary phase engrossed within the typology of animated
writing conspicuously entering each screen. Emotively charged spoken in a frank manner, we are given
intimate details of living and how people feel living in such places as South
Auckland. The writing is slow enough for us to coincidently observe the passes
by in behind the text coercing us to connect these emotions of living in South
Auckland whilst we are watching South Auckland. There is a distinction to be made between the mental
proximity and physical proximity that people’s opinions of South Auckland don’t
actually correlate with how we watch South Auckland- they are two different things,
which don’t rely on each other.
Each of these exhibiting artist has looked at
conceptual and technical modes of researching and analytically responding to
the exhibition theme. Taking in the fact that each
artists has brought their own façade of thinking and conversation to the
exhibition, illustrates reasoning why the flow of the show may not have been as
cohesive as initially preconceived.
Whether it could be resolved in the change in layout of the gallery, as
some spaces did not manifest the artwork to its full potential or a change in
theme. It also is very hard to appropriate a theme to such diverse different
bodies of work. In hindsight maybe an arbitrary theme that each artist responds
to would have been more cohesive. A different gallery space or layout may have
completely changed the flow of the show. For example I believe that if Eunbin’s work were directly at
the opposite end of the gallery to where the spectator enters the space, this
would draw the viewer through to the end rather than her work being the
centrepiece in the middle of the show dislodging the flow. In the end there are
multiple possibilities to changing different propositions and logistics within
the works, the theme, the layout and so on that may or may not have adhered
more cohesion of the whole show.
Pilot is a supportive environment
for experimenting and risk taking. Nothing was lost and all was gained.
[1] Oxford
Dictionaries, Oxford Dictionary of
English (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010), 1851.
[2] Oxford
Dictionaries, Oxford Dictionary of
English (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010), 4494.
[3] Dalia Judovitz, Unpacking Duchamp: Art in Transit (Berkeley:
University of California Press, 1998), 149.
ST PAUL St Gallery Three, AUT- PILOT Project One- "Point to Point,"
Gabriella Challis- Photo Courtesy of artsdiary.co.nz
Gabriella Challis- Photo Courtesy of artsdiary.co.nz
Gabriella Challis
