Forest
A three person exhibition by Ian Clark, Seulki Ki and Corinne Schulze
In association with Cow House Studios
8th September – 4th October 2014
CURATOR’S TALK:
Curator and Co. Director of Cow House Studios, Frank Abruzzese will present a talk on the exhibition on Tuesday 30th September at 2pm. All welcome to attend.
Wexford Arts Centre in collaboration with Cow House Studios are delighted to host a three-person exhibition of recent 2013 artists-in-residence, Ian Clarke, Seulki Ki and Corinne Schulze. Situated within the rural tranquillity of Rathnure, Co. Wexford, Cow House Studios offers a valuable support structure for emerging visual artists as well as introducing critically engaging contemporary work to the rural community.
Cow House Studios is named for its practical origins on the O’Gorman family farm, where for over 250 years the family has lived and worked the land. During their residencies all three artists spent much of their time outside, engaging with the landscape surrounding the studio. A relatively recent plantation of pine trees established by Michael O’Gorman became a location of particular interest. Affectionately referred to as The Forest, this location belies its short 25 year history, where much older flora and fauna have thrived on its bed, and existing streams and mature native trees have broken the typical grid of managed forestation. Though their work represents a range of perspectives, mediums and working methods, the artwork shares this common nexus point. Forest explores the uncanny, mysterious and fearful narratives that can emerge from the perpetually dark, damp and concealed environments of wooded lands.
At one time forests were mystical places, a source of folklore, mysterious and often dangerous. As complex ecosystems forests continue to push the limitations of human understanding, and remind us of our inability to interpret that which we cannot fully observe. In lieu of a mythology or scientific method Clark, Ki and Schulze approach the landscape through a convergence of observation and understanding, process and ritual, experimentation and intervention. The resulting works present an open ended tableau as guarded and compelling as its source.
Ian Clark is an American artist producing films, videos, lens-based projects and sculpture. His work explores phenomenological subtlety, intersections of construct and verité, and the ways in which technology, landscape, and beauty coalesce. Exploring various branches of metaphysics, Clark’s new body of work Spirit/Matter is comprised of photographs and sculptural works driven by an exploration of phenomena often reduced by mainstream science. He moves to reconnect with once innate forms of knowledge where physical experience becomes a device for giving emotional charge to an object.
A Trace of Thirty Minutes depicts a hole dug in the sand illuminated by the soft glow of a setting sun. On any given day on numerous beaches around the world you might find children performing the same act. There seems to be an impulse to discover what exists underneath, to fill the gap of leisure time, test our own limitations, feel strong or productive. Clark refers to this work as the first in his series, noting the connection he experienced between labor and ritual, and how these fundamental human practices can elevate the significance of certain moments. Other works in the series represent rituals Clark performed daily on the farm. One of Thirty One Sacred Stones Affecting a Gravitational Field juxtaposes a sandstone marked with soot and a space blanket. Clark would light daily fires in a clearing amongst the trees. The stone in this piece is one from the 31 that surrounded his fires. The two elements of this work seem to radiate energy between one another. Structure for Creation/Distribution of Energy again references his daily ritual as brightly painted branches collected on his excursions are assembled to resemble a campfire, shelter or monument like structure. The works that comprise Spirit/Matter come together to form a portrait of a worshiping individual, their fascination with Physics and possible attempts to contact extraterrestrial life-forms.
Seulki Ki is an artist based in Seoul, South Korea. Her photographic practice is process driven, often incorporating elements of performance, drawing and sculpture. In one sense her work captures objects as they are, however her process often masks their means of production resulting in images that skew or alter our perception. Ki’s work also aims to reflect emotional states, where processes are developed to mirror her own experience. These emotional states act as filters in the creation of her images, bridging the gap between an objective reality and inner states of being.
In her most recent series Crystal Lake Ki has created photographs that more closely resemble delicate pastel drawings. With an interest in the limitations of human perception Ki attempts to explore the unsettling disorientation of intersecting spatial planes. These works are a challenge to decipher. On one viewing it can look as if one plane is receding into the distance, and with another glance that same element can seem to shift forward. To create these images Ki has applied patterns and fields of colour to transparent films. These prepared sheets are then constructed into cubes and photographed. The patterns work to disrupt our understanding, and the soft focus further obscures our ability to visualise three dimensional space. As a result these works seem to conceal dimension, or possibly suggest additional dimensions of existence beyond human visual perception.
Corinne Schulze’s work evolves out of extensive periods of time spent in natural environments and by reinterpreting each place through research and exploration. Typically, Schulze chooses subject matter that examine how human presence has shaped each environment, either through physical or conceptual means. Her artistic practice examines perception, manipulation of natural phenomena and displacement, as well as ideas related to scientific thought through the medium of photography.
Schulze writes about her series titled 25 Years:
Despite the relatively short life this new ecosystem has had, the abundance of depth and complexity in growth has created an environment that seems wild but is inextricably linked to human intervention…
I spent my days in this forest trying to understand where nature and construct meet. If there is a divide and where that divide can be found. Subsequently, each photograph in this series contains a manipulation in a natural scene.
I also spent time looking at all of the parts of the forest that had begun to thrive because of the young trees that were planted. I put out a watermelon trap to see the types of slugs I could catch. After it rained, I collected different kinds mushrooms that sprouted overnight. I searched for hidden treasures…These photos reflect the time that I spent getting to know this forest that is only 25 years in age.
Forest will run in the lower gallery of Wexford Arts Centre to Saturday 4th October, and gallery opening hours are Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm.
For further information on the exhibition or artists please contact Catherine Bowe, Visual Arts Manager, Wexford Arts Centre on 053 9123764 or email catherine@wexfordartscentre.ie.
For further information on Cow House Studios please contact Co-Director Frank Abruzzese on 053 9169567 or email frank@cowhousestudios.com
