A Contemporary Art Exhibition? -Alrey Batol

Open/Closed is a collaborative exhibition of works by Lincoln Austin, Arryn Snowball and Sean Phillips, co-curated by Megan Williams and exhibiting at QUT Art Museum. Each artist is a local contemporary powerhouse with affiliations and representation from either Heiser Gallery, Rex Irwin, BMG Art and Andrew Baker. The three have a certain “shared sensibility” and it's uncanny how much so. But is it the right place to hold the exhibition? Does the museum's rectilinear similarity to the art make room for the art to have its own voice?

There is a somewhat outdated 'Modernist' feel of the exhibition, and it maybe due to the pairing of geometric art with geometric architecture. The labeling of 'modernist' is also based on my understanding of context and how much of art after Modernism is guided by it. The works in this exhibition have an unmistakable shortcoming of context as can be expected from works that have an abstract quality. They contain the typical cues of abstraction. Sean Phillips uses the arbitrary nature of words or letters and take them back to their origin; typography, as can be seen his series “Untitled 1-7” typewriter on paper. The edges of each letter are conjoined by land the overall shape of the sentences combined form a monolithic vertical line.

Lincoln Austin    No end in sight   2011

In Lincoln Austin's geometric work, there are repeated shapes, economics of space, and forms that don't relate to the politics of the day, as abstract art should be. However, Austin's lack of context is compensated by his use of geometry to vibrate our sense of seeing. In other words, Austin aims to include the viewer which is generally a post-modern phenomenon in art-production reminiscent of the Optical art of Brigitte Riley.

In September 19, 2012, the co-curator of QUT Art Museum, Megan Williams conducted a tour of Open/Closed. She highlighted a curatorial trend of “respecting the artwork” through the distancing between label/title and the art. This is particularly evident when considering the titles for Sean Phillips' pieces (with exception to “Untitled 1-7”) aren’t actually next to or on the same wall as the work. Megan mentioned having to decide between map-based titling or traditional titling (somewhat) next to the works.

She was right in choosing the latter, the former tends to confuse the viewer, who’s instinctive need for convenience is disrupted by having to decipher where they are in the map. However, a few unlucky viewers may have to decipher a white empty wall with a title.

Sean Phillips  Open Closed   2011

It's obvious a lot of thought went into the placements of works, as an example; Sean Phillips work ‘Open/Closed’ is placed not in the center of the column-wall, but on the left. Considering the amount of rectangles and lines in the exhibition, it was possibly an attempt to alleviate the stark rectilinear feel of the gallery and the works exhibited.

 

Sean Phillips   Untitled 1-7   2012

It seems the curator's attempt at curatorial innovation was in vain, considering it cannot escape the traditional, comfortably lit white wall as opposed to the current trend of exhibitions; the tactile, the haptic and sensorial, dimly lit, matte black wall, the 'no-wall' or the site-specific wall used extensively by prominent contemporary artists. Artists such as Daniel Buren, Olafur Eliasson and Bill Viola. Black walls also have the added practical application for exhibiting new media art. Art that heavily relies on a provisional degree of lighting or the projector / HD monitor.

With this in mind, any attempts or claims by the curator of having a contemporary curatorial edge is merely a humble way of establishing or asserting the museum’s place in the local art milieu and market. One need only look underneath the titles of the works to see where one may be able to buy the particular work; for Sean Phillips, see Andrew Baker Art Dealership. It’s worth noting that prior to Open/Closed, QUT Art Museum’s recent acquisitions included a Lincoln Austin wire-mesh piece and the rationale of promoting new works by an artist whose work they have invested in is questionable.

The day that art is not hung as precious artifacts and the viewer can run their hands on the surface of a painting or sculpture (in good faith) without fear of being reprimanded, or when conceptual value trumps market value, will be the day QUT Art Museum and the works they choose to show, be considered contemporary. They may even have to consider dropping ‘Museum’ in their name, which brings to mind something Theodor Adorno once said and for the reader to consider, “museum and mausoleum are connected by more than phonetic association".