By Emily Sinclair
William Yang, 'Australia now' (2009), installation view, Contemporary Art for Contemporary Kids, 2010, Image courtesy of Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation, Photo: Emily Sinclair
Museums and galleries are turning to their youngest group of art lovers in an attempt to make education a top priority in their exhibition programs.
By Miriam Williamson
Janet Laurence 'After Eden' 2012, installation view, commissioned by Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation, image courtesy of Jamie North
Review of After Eden an installation by Australian artist Janet Laurence commissioned by the Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation (SCAF), Goodhope Street Paddington 16 March – 19 May 2012.
“Perhaps I can only show a pathos and expose a tenderness”
- Janet Laurence 2012
Katrina Dunn-Jones
Brook Andrew’s most recent work, The Cell, currently inhabits SCAF’s (the Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation) exhibition space. This inflated installation is certainly an experience to be had.
Upon entering the gallery one is immediately intrigued by this work. The strange buzzing sound of the air pump hits you first, creating a heightened awareness of the surroundings. As viewers continue into the space they are confronted by the colossal cell; a rectangular, inflated, pulsating structure, decorated with a red geometric pattern (inspired by Andrew’s Wiradjuri heritage).
As a sculpture, The Cell gives viewers a sense of wonder, however in this work they are invited to step into a Wiradjuri-patterned costume (and step out of their everyday identity) and participate in the work, as an installation. Stripped of an identity, or armed with a new one, participants enter The Cell by crawling through a narrow tunnel emerging to find a spacious, bouncy, rectangular room covered completely by a monochromatic geometric-psychedelic pattern.
Brook Andrew The Cell, 2010 dimensions variable Commissioned by Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation. Photos courtesy Paul Green
Entering The Cell is like ‘falling down the rabbit hole’ or opening the doors to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. It is a visually stimulating and exciting place. The unwritten instructions seem to be ‘let go’, ‘have fun’; run, jump, roll and ‘bash into stuff’ or just lie on the soft floor and relax while being subtly rocked by the movement of the cell. Adult participants are given the opportunity to leave the outside world behind and journey back to childhood.
Brook Andrew The Cell, 2010 dimensions variable Commissioned by Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation. Photo courtesy Roger D'Souza
However, this work is not as conceptually light as it first appears. There is a mournful and slightly malevolent undercurrent that acts as a subtext to the fun. The colour and pattern of The Cell, as well as the inflatable, transient nature, references ‘the carnival’ or circus and the state of being at once pleasant and sinister. The title, Cell, refers to the most basic element of life, and the non-life of incarceration. The costumes donned by the participants are inscribed with a serial number, referencing prison uniforms. Where initially the costumes freed the participants of their identity, they end up oppressing them, robbing them of an identity. The general structure of the installation, punctuated by the gentle rocking motion and the inclusion of portholes bring the idea of asylum seekers (or ‘boat people’) to fore. After the novelty of ‘the jumping castle’ has worn off, the visitor can sit in this quiet space and mull over these ideas.
It was Andrew’s hope that this work would be ‘fun’, ‘provoke contemplation and discussion’ and ‘give a voice to the world’s forgotten people’. The Cell succeeds in its aim. It drew me in, I had loads of fun, and when that was over I sat down and put myself in the shoes of those who travel to Australia, in the hope that confinement will be replaced by freedom.
Brook Andrew: The Cell
Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation
16-20 Goodhope Street, Paddington
Sydney, NSW 2021.
Open Wednesday-Saturday 11am-5pm.