B-SIDE

27 November - 13 December 2008

Curated by Andrew Tetzlaff

Daniel Dorall, Ruth Fleishman, Cecilia Fogelberg + Tim Silver

B-side engages the corners and edges of art practice: the dead ends that go places, the old habits that die hard, and off-cuts that take root. In one light, this exercise appears to be an event in honour of, and springboard for, formative ideas. Beyond the experimental, nostalgic or developmental goals, however, lies a challenge for both the audience and artist. How, in a post-medium age, can the relocation or hybridization of one’s art practice enable a re-interrogation of its conceptual underpinnings. B-side gives us a moment for re-invention. It’s a time for artists to put their foot out of line as little as an inch or as much as a mile.

Daniel Dorall’s world is one of twisting passageways and surreal meetings. The maze forms of his sculptures are hypnotic, enticing the viewer to wander aimlessly amongst fractured narratives and thin hallways. More than the small microcosms they present though, they are durational journeys; the work itself seems a manifestation of, or metaphor for the idea of exploration. By inflating the scale of this work, our perceptual meanderings become physical ones. Dorall encompasses us with a labyrinth not as a trap, but rather as an experience of space.

In a similar manner, the improvised constructions of Ruth Fleishman place the viewer directly in the action. An exuberant display of playfulness, Cacophony explores constructed reality in a tongue-and-cheek manner – a grandiose installed version of her dioramas and prints. Ruth’s use of collage and perishable materials are a celebration of impermanence, immediacy, scavenged reclamation and good ol’ fashion playtime.

Visually, the high-spirited work estranges Cecilia Fogelberg’s Three-dimensional Sketchbook, which by contrast is starkly quiet and introverted. Conceptually however, both works share a common ground: an interest in stepping back from “finished artwork” to the process of making “finished artwork”. By considering the nature of their materials and subjects and the manner in which they collect and present them, both artists imbue their work with a self-awareness and autonomy. Cecilia’s catalogue of made and collected objects therefore not only gives insight into the construction of her visual fables, but also is itself a re-labeling of reality, a personalized set of mismatched metonyms that are as eloquent as they are calculated.

With similar understated silence, Tim Silver distills a singular moment of premeditated conflagration into a series of lenticular prints. As with our relation to Cecilia’s work, he does not force an experience on us, but rather invites us to participate and observe. We are allowed time to peacefully study and inspect an event that neither peaceful nor sustained. Burning Up falls between temporal paradox and “memento mori”, the static quality of the materials providing a dramatic foil for Silver’s almost morbid fascination with decay and expiration.

Andrew Tetzlaff - 2008

B-side is an exhibition focused on inviting artists who have previously exhibited at Blindside to return for another go. I would like to thank all the exhibitors for their participation and work in making B-side 2008 such a success.