Talk by Mitra Tabrizan...

This evening I visited Brighton University on a talk hosted by Photoworks, a big company in Brighton that showcases talks, magazines and exhibitions. The artist talk was from Mitra Tabrizian and was all about why and how she managed to get photographs from Iran without permission. I cant go into much more detail because of privacy issues and by her request not to be published in anyway. 

Once the talk had finished I did not feel satisfied. I felt that she had given invalid reasons why she had been taking the types of pictures to prove a point. It just didn't seem right. I didn't enjoy the talk.

All That Mighty Heart...

As well as having the previous exhibit in the Phoenix Gallery, there was also a second which was a short film created by Jayne Wilson. Infact there were two films although I only had time to see the first longer one. The 10 minute film was produced carefully with researched images found in archives. Amongst this the film also included modern day time and movement. This created humor and a twist to keep you interested in watching.

The film starts out as mechanical engineering and grows about her obsession with numerical sequences. The qualities that were put together produced an associate with early factory days in post world war. I liked the sequence very much because the mechanical engineering way of thinking has been around for so long. Many of the steam powered machinery is now very different, but doing the same things. We take too much for granted. A steam train has now become a fast electric train.

I really liked the phase that came up on the screen: "The short hand goes round the circle in twelve hours. The long hand goes round the circle in one hour and moves from dot to dot in a minute." I think it really summed up what the work was about when a clock was displayed. Its as if we have taken technology to a new level but we have never forgotten who created or where and what it was made for. 

Photograph taken by myself displays the machinery cogs that Jayne Wilson had in her film.

The room was very dark and it felt unclear whether I should step in. I was not knowing what to expect. Their must have been a sensor because the movie started to play and I sat down on the sofa provided. Images were displayed for a long time as the sound and movement showed mechanical cogs moving faster and faster. It kept going back to various ones. After a while the film started to speed up and photographs and video were being displayed very quickly flashing on and off. There was a big build up and then the short film started to slow down to end. It was as if the machine was told to work faster for a short period of time.

Broken Ground...

As I was in Brighton today I thought it would be an ideal time to visit one of my favorite exhibition spaces. This was the Phoenix Gallery around the corner from Brighton University. The space is large and small but very powerful if a series is trying to state a point.

Broken Ground features the work of a Canadian artist called Derek Besant. He explored the physical processes and human impact of redevelopment in large city's. He observed seven major places over the past nine years and some of the cities included London, Vienna and Shanghai. Each image is based upon the knock on effect upon traffic and pedestrians. The events are looked upon as temporary acts in which people reorganize materials and space into and out of chaos, hence destroying a building and then creating a new one. Besant has exhibited his work worldwide and so it was a privilege to see it. He studied at the University of Calgary and the Royal Canadian Academy where he produced traveling exhibitions and catalogues. 

The work was an instillation by using large scale prints on transparent fabric like materials. The exhibition consisted of roughly 6 large screens. They all contained similar information, therefore they fitted nicely as a set. A long towering shadow was shown on each material and it almost represented to me as if the 'towering' shadow was almost like the building before it was nocked down.

The picture above was my favorite. It almost looks as if it has been split into thirds horizontally. I really like the way the shadow is displayed. It looks as if  they are leaning forward and the body posture almost looks as if she was shocked that an important building was being replaced for a newer one. I believe that the canvas material had either been drawn on or enlarged from a drawing.

It was also very relaxing in this exhibition gallery. This was because there was a soundtrack created by Christian Bouchard in the background. Having previously collaborated with Besant before in 2005, he wanted him to create another piece of music. He gave Bouchard four words upon which to base the music upon, these were: Presence, Absence, Distance and Proximity. The running time was said to be approximately 50 minutes and contains five comprised movements each separated by one of the four interludes. I had really enjoyed seeing this work and being in this space alone.