u g l y a e s t h e t i c

Thoughts/rambles on contemporary art. Scrapbook.

[ugly-aesthetic]

Motorcycle Crash, 2009

Eric Olson 

There is not very much for me to be critical about in response to this piece. Expession emerges from strokes of paint and layers and mess of colours. I admire that Olson has uniquely applied the colours and strokes in so many ways that a description of the expression shown becomes subjective. The structure of the head is recognised through subtle and carefully placed strokes which create dimension in a way that leaves the product with a sense of ambiguity. Though we can still somehow understand it. The use of colours is equally as interesting; they appear random but there is definitely concentrations of skin colours contrasted with darker tones representing shadow. Subtlety is the key for the success of this piece. It would be named abstract, but there is a ominous familiarity which is characteristic of any realist portrait artist.

- L

ugly-aesthetic

[ugly-aesthetic]

Endless Plains 

Polly Morgan 

Morgan's taxidermic installations are a profound installation of the inescapability of death, it's relationship with decay and with the living. The juxtaposition of such literal conditions is very much so a reality shock for the viewer, as we are reminded of our own lifetime, which suddenly seems fragile and almost meaningless. I am being the pessimist, however, as many would look at Morgan's art and think of the death or even slaughter of animals, as being part of the cycle of life, of naturalism. Morgan discusses mortality through these installations, or rather - enforces it. Memento Mori comes to mind, one could see a contemporary remake of Philippe de Champagne's 'Vanitas' or indeed Hals' 'Youth With A Skull' , with much less aesthetic but in return a profound sense of substantial materiality. 

- L

ugly-aesthetic

[ugly-aesthetic]

Shard Of Light Series, Gallery Jones Vancouver

James Nizam

Nizam engineered rooms so that sunlight could feed into the room and be streamlined through certain holes and pivoted on ball joints. The piece is actually a photograph as viewing sunlight in this way would be physically impossible. You can find out more about his method here: http://www.canadianart.ca/online/see-it/2012/05/03/james-nizam-trace-heavens-gallery-jones/

The idea of restricting and manipulating sunlight this way is a concept which seems too scientific to be so beautiful. The photographs become an mental illusion of natural light; not only is concept stupefying but the outcome is magically ambiguous. An irony is held within the artificiality of such manipulation of light, a natural medium. The unique disposition is held within its substance: Light is a universal element for its effect on another forms in Art, but never before have I seen an installation which itself consists only of light. There are moments when I can experience the beauty of light, but only its illusive effect on tones and dimensions of objects, landscapes. Fascinatingly, Nizam has enabled us to bear light itself (with a lot of patience!) through power of photography which allows us to capture the light of which our eyes are unable to witness. Sunlight is an element of nature which Nizam beautifully manipulates so it becomes a literal medium of art. The media translates into something we are able to experience although not be able to view directly. We must not forget the significance of the fact that what is actually exhibited is a photograph. Light is only a medium within another medium, as the camera translates its subject for us. In physicality, light does not exist. His work almost becomes a ridicule of factual science, as light is ironically used to make architectural forms, as if it was an actual substance. For me a piece like this is when Art really comes alive; the method is almost as bewitchingly seductive as its enchanting outcome.

- L

ugly-aesthetic

[dead-subject]

[ugly-aesthetic]

Original, Saatchi Gallery

Jarek Puczel

It seems to me that Puczel achieves so much with so little. The piece holds expressive dimensions of the face through an intimate connection of form. The application of paint is implicit, small areas of detail which carry suggestive qualities of the form of the subjects. What interests me the most is the paradox within his work: A seemingly abstract style constitutes areas of three dimensional tones in an almost realistic way. It simplifies reality in a beautifully mellow approach. 

- L

ugly-aesthetic