too many cooks- photos from group show 14 dec 07

starting the group project- first attempt at a domestic diorama

ok- so not necessarily to do with my own specialism but to bring out two of my obsessions into our PAPER/CHOICE group project- 1950s and no-domain little paper puppet sets- this is a back blog am in-golly-need-to-catch-up-quick-blog-mode having just come back from SUNNY (missing it already-the sun that is, the lack of culture-no) sydney

here's the original idea which i first put into the pot when we were talking about PAPER and CHOICE and hot (distinct lack of choice, conflict, friction) and cold (many choices, calm,) areas, mixed with laura's real life doll dress up idea; i then made the above set for our first walk through on 22nd november with rebecca and andrew, combined with lena's ideas, who renamed it a domestic diorama and made an argos catalogue one for participants to play with and us to watch and learn....

Participants 'controlling' performers in simulated spaces which 'control' us....

Participants would be given a paper prop in their paper bag upon upon entry to the entire group show. Upon finding this CONTROL performance introduce into the model box type 'set' of a space, and integrate with theirs or others' CHOICE of a selection of cut out background, props, unclothed figure, and clothes with tabs on them, within it. They will then be asked to experiment with creating scenes getting little paper cutouts to play out actions in front of a video camera. There will be a live performer 'dictator' either trying to get the participants to make the set based actions 'behave' (to rules and regulations or social etiquette or sterotypes) or 'misbehave' in their chosen scenes.
The sets would be projected live (front or back- needs considering- space issues) onto performers who would have real props, clothes,etc same as the cut out ones on the set, and act out the actions controlled by the actions in the set projections. (I liked laura's idea here of the 'rebel' performer that confronts the 'dictator' performer)

Looking at issues of conformity in spaces- public and private- so spaces should be generic, and taken from mass produced sources, such as;
1. a living room with fixtures and fittings, furnishing, appliances, etc etc taken from argos catalogue, with kids or adults in them posing out on the garden chair etc

2. a family holiday in disney world, with souvenirs, sunglasses, holiday maker/tourist outfits

3. an era in which family roles were clearly defined

Is there a script or is there to be a performance living out this action in the scene? or is it just all live?

Is this projected into another 'world' later on when walking round the group show-eg a screen within a gilt frame above a mantlepiece in a steroetyped familty lounge??


this then became two ideas - family portrait and diorama- more to follow

julie rrap- body double at MCA, sydney

from this site- MCA, Sydney; This major exhibition of the work of Julie Rrap, one of Australia’s most prominent artists, brings together photography, video, sculpture and installation from the past twenty-five years of the artist's practice. Curated by Victoria Lynn, the exhibition explores the persona of the ‘trickster’ in Rrap’s work, the theme of the ‘body double’, and considers the ways in which the artist oversteps the margins of bodily representation.

i loved and hated this exhibition alternately; loved the body double video work where a projected body moves between 2 rubber casts of it as though asleep, the virtual and the cast being fused temporarily as the body appears to roll onto it creating a 'skin' and then just as teasingly rolls off again(top photo), and also the fragmented photography installation showing photograph of self as document, object, subject, photography as process, manipulated- torn, burnt, colour and black and white, photo in a photo....all defying the surface of the image and its illusion of 3D space and as artifact of truth..the camera does lie...(see next blog for images)

hated bit- my absolute hate is morphing bodies for pure non-sensicle effect, her body dips into a flashpool and pulls the body in and then she pulls herself out- why? and also body casts which didn't seem to present anything to think about-although i did like the head casts which had been then used as a mark making tool on walls. also nice use of flat screens in a line with film loops of tiny shoes in a pool, horse tail/ her with horse tail between her legs..

the other intriguing bit which i would welcome more at individual artists shows- a section of rrap's influences picked by her- cindy sherman included. julia bardsley also sprung to mind...more photos to follow

julie rrap- body double at MCA, sydney- images