Thursday, September 19, 2013

The poetic bridge between art and designs



Canadian artist Marc Hundley’s new work is coherent with respect to his previous one including an interest in Virginia Woolf. In fact, the title The Waves, The Body Alone is taken from Virginia Woolf’s experimental novel The Waves. Hundley often uses appropriated materials as his subjects such as texts from novels, favorite film posters, and images of music icons that can be both extremely personal and public at the same time. Although he takes the clear physical presence of vintage material, he does not merely reproduce the original. Hundley's fabrication of posters can be interpreted as mental imprints of his subconscious mind. Details in the work subtly imply his memory towards the subject such as mismatched titles, pixelated prints, and offset layers.



Hundley's art appears to have more in common with graphic design than with what would be considered to be fine art. This can lead to the main concern where his design stands in gallery context. An eye level display, mint colored walls, and symmetrically placed two large benches are not a coincidence and exist to serve a purpose. Design is created for function, and non-functional design is considered as a failure. Hudley's work is successful as design. However, the nature of art should always fail which non-art can never be. Perhaps the bridge he is trying to connect between art and design in this exhibition can lead to either a great success in design or glorious failure in fine art.  


2 comments:

  1. Well done, Lynn! You brought up something really interesting, the distinction in the show between fine art and design (staying true to the album covers, films, etc.), something that the show relied heavily on. Either he needed to commit to the graphic integrity of the works he was not just referencing but made central figures, or try to translate them to a fine art context, i.e. the gallery interior. Aside from what was already mentioned, I think it's important to address that Hundley is trying to make public a past (or maybe current) condition of angst, something I think can be mapped to his youth; films, songs and literature that helped him get through an adolescent self discovery.

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  2. Good review! You have a few typos that could be fixed: in the first paragraph you have a "yet" that is out of place. In the second paragraph, the sentences "This could lead to the main concern where his design stands in gallery context. Design only exists for function and results the show as an absolute perfection." are very awkward and could be rewritten for clarity. Also, "eye revel" should be "eye level." Despite these little errors, the main thrust of the review is clear and you make some good points.

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