Thursday, February 24, 2011

Matias Faldbakken: TELEVISION/MOONSHINE

Sculptures by Matias Faldbakken are at the Reena Spaulings Fine Art gallery. The cast concrete sculptures are interesting because they make the unusual connection of art to television and moonshine alcohol. These are subjects thought to be on opposite ends of the cultural spectrum. The sculptures appear cryptic at first, but clues - the objects used as the molds, have been left on the concrete form in some cases to help communicate what they represent. By leaving the objects used as the molds around the outside of some of the sculptures insight into the concept is given, visual variety is added, and the distinction between artistic process and product is diminished. Placed on the floor along one wall of the gallery room are 18 jug shaped objects made of poured concrete. The plastic jugs, used as molds for the sculptures, are the kind used to produce and distribute moonshine. The actual jugs used as molds were not removed from a few of the sculptures after being filled with concrete. Several feet away and parallel to the jug shaped sculptures sits a row of four narrow rectangular concrete sculptures. Again, in one case the artist left the mold around the concrete form - an empty flat screen television box. Faldbakken reduced his process to mixing and pouring concrete. The act of pouring is not a laborious method of art making. The production process and arrangement of the sculptures express the theme of pointlessness among these opposing subjects. The sculptures are the result of the idea that created them.

3 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. The first sentence should be shorter to make it less awkward. The second sentence/question needs to be reworded because it doesn’t quite make sense. I don’t think it needs to be a question at all. “What’s behind the door is meant only for those in the know of this secret gallery.” I don’t think you need “alcohol” after moonshine. There are two many stops throughout the entire review, I’d like it to be more fluid.

    With that said, I really enjoyed the way you described it as a speakeasy and a hidden, sort of in-the-know place. It was a spot-on description, and I felt the same when I approached it. I think you did a good job of describing the gallery and the show’s content was perfect for it. I’d like to hear your opinion of the show at the end of the review.

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  3. To begin, whilst the first sentences' narrative undertone is intriguing, it is both remarkably long and oddly gives precedence to the gallery's interior- as this is your opening this is quite misleading as there's no mention of Faldbakken.

    The second sentence continues this misconstruction as you inject a question which still fails to inform the reader about Faldbakken. Additionally, it is fair to say that by now the number of words have gone to waste taking into account that this is merely a two- hundred and fifty word review.

    There are exhaustively one too many uses of the full- stop. The fluidity and transparency of your review becomes "choppy."

    "The artist believes art making is non productivity, or the opposite of work" This sentence is a redundant.

    "They create lost time" Once again the over-use of full- stops inhibits you to concisely explain the meaning and description of the artist's works and intentions. Having that been said...your description of the jugs and it's placement within the gallery space isn't informatively adequate.

    Lastly...the last two sentences, ironically enough, are not appropriate (I believe) as it reflects the exact erroneous description highlighted in the beginning of your review. The commentary on the gallery and how the sculptures accommodate the gallery's interior "...appropriately..." gives primacy to the "hidden door of the Reena Spaulings Fine Art gallery."

    A tiny amount of focus needs to be lent towards the works more and less than what is already afforded to the gallery's interior. Reduce the full- stops and create more concise sentences. Other than that...a stylistically solid piece of writing.

    -DJ

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