Photo Access | 4 February - 5 March 2022
This show features emerging, or re-emerging, contemporary photographers. Technically, an emerging artist – no matter how old or how long they’ve been at their chosen medium - has not yet been recognised by major critics, galleries and museums. More generally, the term tends to be used when artists have been practising for less than 10 years, haven’t been acquired by a gallery, and have a low profile in the art market. A re-emerging artist is one whose career was interrupted by circumstances and is now resuming. I understand one of these exhibitors is 80. Yes, artists can emerge at any age.
Ten photographers, each producing works in their own distinctive styles, using diverse materials and exploring many subjects. You might appreciate different artists/works than those that stand out for me. I am confident, however, that every gallery visitor will find delight here and enjoy contemplating all exhibits.
Accompanied
by a video showing demolition, Annette Fisher’s powerful Demolition print
captures light coming from the rubble, surprisingly revealing beauty in the
site.
Demolition, 2021 – Annette Fisher
Greg
Stoodley’s two Small Worlds prints delightfully reflect on how animals,
in this case a cat, may be real supports during lengthy periods spent at home.
Cat TV, 2021 – Greg Stoodley
Isaac
Kairouz’s Hek! BIDEO installation includes video, collage and painting.
Each element needs to be explored individually, whilst the whole wonderful
installation also needs to be contemplated in the context of the ways a
person’s various social identities come together.
GolDen sHowASs, 2020 – Isaac Kairouz
Catherine
Feint’s Childhood Home is a set of monochrome film shots of the house in
which she grew up. The twist though is that they are actually photographs of
her created cardboard models of the house. The quality of the shots is such
that I did not realise that until reading the catalogue.
Figure 4 – Catherine Feint
Suspension, by Wendy Dawes, also took me by surprise. The catalogue refers to the rotoscope technique and drawing on suspension files. I know of rotoscoping, but it did not occur to me that the reference to suspension files meant just that – two artworks have been created on those ugly holders that we suspend in filing cabinets to hold documents. A much more creative use!
Suspension Trampoline, 2021 – Wendy Dawes
Jemima
Campey’s two related video works explore the growing use of scripted and
performed apologies, designed to minimise damage to the person’s “brand”. We
can all quickly bring to mind certain politicians.
Still from digital video Crocodile Tears, 2021 – Jemima Campey
Tom
Campbell’s split-screen video work tells two simultaneous stories,
investigating the impact of border closures on our connections with places and
family. I had to view this a few times to take in all the words on each screen
but doing so reinforced the message.
Still from split-screen video – not that hill as a site of dominion 2021, Tom Campbell
Fiona
Bowring’s Spoonville is another quality print of a whimsical feature.
Having seen this work previously on social media (as well as other folk’s
images of other Spoonville installations) reduced its impact for me.
Spoonville-7719, Fiona Bowring
Xueqin
Yi’s Plants Chant images resulted from using her camera to escape boredom and,
so, becoming intensely interested in and gaining comfort from observing plants.
There is much more than just plants in the images though, as she has included
their, sometimes odd, surrounds.
Untitled, 2018 – Xueqin Yi
The
catalogue says Izaak Bink’s I want you, because I can’t have you uses
found images to draw attention to the exaggerated masculinity gay men can be
forced to emulate – and forces us to ask, “whose place is it to decode this
work?” Whilst not feeling any need to ask such a question, I nevertheless
thoroughly enjoyed the graphic style of these two works.
Ride Em Cowboy – Izaak Bink
Thoughtfully curated
by Wouter van de Voorde, this exhibition explores alternative processes
and offers fresh perspectives on current issues, from early-career artists.
This review was published in the Canberra Times on 14/2/22 here. It is also available on the author's own blog here.
