SHIFT Roja Aslani Cindy Marshall An exhibition at the Lake Country Art Gallery July 19th to September 2nd, 2012
Curatorial  Statement Look.  Inside.  Home.  Search.  View.  Link.  Share.  Connect.  Follow.  Like.  Terms.  Refresh.  Site.  Command.  History.  Delete.  Select. Â
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OLVW RI VLPSOH VKRUW ZRUGV 6RPH VR HYHU\GD\ WKDW WKH\ FRXOG ÂżW DOPRVW  DQ\ZKHUH 2WKHUV DUH D ELW PRUH VSHFLÂżF WKDW FDOO WR PLQG D SDUWLFXODU PLOLHX When  read  all  together  these  simple,  short  words  create  a  sequence  of  actions  that,  to  those  of  us  who  spend  enough  time  on  the  internet,  can  easily  be  placed.  But  these  words  didn’t  always  mean  what  they  mean  now  within  the   context  of  the  internet.  ‘Like’  wasn’t  always  a  link  that  you  clicked  on  and  ¾+LVWRU\Âś ZDVQÂśW DOZD\V OLVW RI ZHE SDJHV \RXÂśYH YLVLWHG WKHLU GHÂżQL- WLRQV SUH LQWHUQHW ZHUH VR PXFK PRUH QRQ VSHFLÂżF DQG DOO HQFRPSDVV- ing.  In  their  body  of  work  titled  Shift  artists  Roja  Aslani  and  Cindy  Marshall   examine  how  the  dominance  of  the  internet  and  the  words  and  phrases  it   readily  utilizes  has  changed  the  meaning  of  words  like;Íž  home,  share,  link,  view,  etc.  and  stripped  their  complexities  down  into  small,  singular  fragments. The  work  that  makes  up  Shift  is  anything  but  simple.  While  the  aesthetic  of  the  overall  show  is  clean,  crisp  and  dominated  by  white,  the  individual  works  are  playful  meditations  on  these  16  words.  The  16  pristine  white  plinths  can’t  help  but  evoke  a  nod  to  the  minimalist  works  of  artists  like  Donald  Judd  and  Carl  Andre,  where  the  inherent  qualities  of  simple  sculptural  shapes,  not   unlike  Aslani  and  Marshall’s  plinths,  were  key.  Here,  however,  the  viewer  is   invited  to  “Lookâ€?  “Insideâ€?  the  plinths.  As  one  does,  the  grid  of  unassuming  white  pillars  reveal  that  they  are  more  than  they  initially  seem.  The  interior  of  the  “Homeâ€?  plinth,  for  example,  is  lit  by  a  mysterious  red  glow  that  spills  into  the  gallery,  that  upon  closer  inspection  reveals  a  plastic  red  heart  light  emanating  from  within.  The  “Searchâ€?  plinth  humourously  reveals  a  donkey  tail  on  a  tack.  A  series  of  paste  up  studies  also  riff  on  this  same  list  of  short,   simple  words.  Paste  ups  were  a  tool  used  in  design  layout  in  the  pre-Âcom- puters  days,  where  text  and  images  were  literally  pasted  onto  a  board  to  be   photographed  and  turned  into  a  negative  which  could  be  printed.  These  paste  ups  are  studies  created  from  a  collection  of  images  derived  from  the   history  of  text  art  and  pop  art,  areas  of  interest  for  both  Aslani  and  Marshall.  2
In  “Lookâ€?,  the  study  is  made  up  of  a  bust  of  a  woman’s  head.  Her  mouth  and  nose  are  in  black  and  white,  split  in  half  vertically  into  a  positive  and  negative.  Inscribed  across  her  eyes  are  the  words  “SEE  YOUâ€?.  The  upper  portion  of  her  head  is  made  up  of  a  collection  of  text  ephemera  in  ruddy,  sepia-Âlike  colours.  7R VRPH WKLV LV MXVW D VWULNLQJ DQG FRPSHOOLQJ FRPSRVLWLRQ WKDW UHĂ€HFWV RQ language  and  how  it  effects  communication.  To  others  more  familiar  with  art  history  and  text  art,  there  are  further  references.  The  woman’s  mouth  comes  from  the  text  art  work  of  American  artist  Barbara  Kruger.  The  text  ephemera  that  makes  up  the  forehead  is  from  German  artist  Kurt  Schwitters  whose  text  art,  called  Merz  pictures  or  ‘Psychological  Collage’,  make  clever  visual  text  play  and  allusions  to  current  events.  The  text  that  reads  “SEE  YOUâ€?  comes  from  the  work  of  American  artist  Jenny  Holzer  who  re-Âinserts  new  and  poignant  mes- sages  back  into  popular  culture  often  through  electronic  billboards  and  projec- tions.  All  the  other  studies  are  similarly  peppered  with  art  history  references  both  obscure  and  mainstream. The  interesting  contrast  that  Aslani  and  Marshall’s  work  presents  in  Shift  is  the  juxtaposition  of  the  functions  and  language  of  the  internet  with  physical,  hands-Âons  on  methods  of  art  making  like  paste  ups  and  minimalist  sculpture.  Actions,  that  in  the  digital  realm  are  simple,  repetitive  mouse  clicks,  become  physical  interactions  where  one  must  walk  and  bend  to  look  and  discover  new  information;Íž  the  body  is  fully  implicated  here,  not  held  at  arms  reach  as  it  is  on  the  computer.  The  plethora  of  imagery  in  both  the  studies  and  plinths  mimic  the  V\QHUJ\ WKDW RQH HQFRXQWHUV ZKLOH VXUÂżQJ WKH LQWHUQHW EXPSLQJ LQWR D PHOWLQJ pot  of  ideas  and  images  from  a  multitude  of  sources.  The  nuances  that  “Look.  Inside.  Home.  Search.â€?  etc.  lose  in  their  use  as  internet  function  descriptors  are  re-Âasserted  and  complicated  in  a  way  that  seems  to  be  more  representative  of  the  true  mutable  and  shifting  nature  of  words  and  language.  Here  objects  work  WR GHVFULEH DQG GHÂżQH WH[W UDWKHU WKDW WKH WUDGLWLRQDO LQYHUVLRQ LQ ZKLFK WH[W GHÂżQHV REMHFWV Katie  Brennan  Curator,  Lake  Country  Art  Gallery
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SHIFT  (It’s  All  Geek  to  Me) SHIFT  is  an  exhibition  exploring  text-Âbased  art,  minimalism,  etymology,  and  cultural  trends.  This  collaborative  body  of  work  invites  the  audience  to  con- sider  the  evolution  of  singular  words;Íž  their  origin,  their  transition,  and  how  they  serve  us  in  their  current  use. Shift:  Old  English  sciftan;Íž  related  to  Old  Norse  skipta  to  divide,  0LGGOH /RZ *HUPDQ VFKLIWHQ WR VHSDUDWH &XUUHQW GHÂżQLWLRQ WR move  or  cause  to  move  from  one  place  or  position  to  another.
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his  project  has  seen  us  migrate  from  broad  research  on  cultural  trends  to  more   focussed  attention  on  the  extent  to  which  a  new  language  has  developed  along- side  the  use  of  technology.   In  this  collaboration  we  examine  the  evolution  and   “repurposingâ€?  of  language,  particularly  in  the  context  of  and  in  relation  to  the  world  of   QHWZRUN FRPPXQLFDWLRQ 0RUH VSHFLÂżFDOO\ RXU UHVHDUFK H[DPLQHV KRZ WKH HYHU\GD\ XVH RI WHFKQRORJLFDO QHWZRUNV KDV UHVXOWHG LQ H[SDQGLQJ XVHV DQG GHÂżQLWLRQV RI VLPSOH ZRUGV These  etymological  shifts  typify  the  process  of  change:  awareness  shifts  to   familiarity,  and  as  our  familiarity  allows  us  to  become  comfortable,  we  eventu- ally  adopt  the  change.Though  our  agreement  with  change  may  be  tumultuous,  “the   ability  to  change  [and  to  shift]  is  crucial  to  the  survival  of  [language,  art,  and   culture]’  (Schlatter  p.1).   Our  adaptability  is,  and  will  continue  to  be,  our  key  to  survival.  7KURXJK WKLV Ă€H[LELOLW\ DQG SODVWLFLW\ WKH HOHPHQWV RI FXOWXUH DW D JLYHQ PRPHQW  GHFDGH RU HUD DUH GHÂżQHG )RU H[DPSOH GXULQJ WKH V RXU FXOWXUH ZDV  GHÂżQHG E\ WKH LQĂ€XHQFH RI FRXQWHUFXOWXUHV VRFLDO UHYROXWLRQ VSDFH H[SORUDWLRQ DQG  PLQLPDOLVP 'HVLJQ LQ WKDW GHFDGH UHSUHVHQWHG HQHUJ\ DQG IXQ 6LPLODUO\ V DUW WUDFHV WKH VKLIWV IURP WKH RUJDQLF Ă€XLG OLQHV RI WKH Âľ&RQWHPSRUDU\Âś GHVLJQ RI WKH V -DFNVRQ 3ROORFN DQG :LOOLDP 'H .RRQLQJ WR D VSDFH LQVSLUHG SXUH JHRPHWU\ and  minimalism  of  ‘the  look’  indicative  of  a  new  era  (Mark  Rothko  and  Donald  Judd). Â
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Minimalism  (the  trend  of  reducing  or  stripping  down  to  necessary  elements)   EHFDPH DQ LPSRUWDQW DQG JUDGXDO PRYHPHQW LQ WKH V LQ DOO DVSHFWV RI FXOWXUH DV D  UHDFWLRQ WR WKH RYHU VWLPXODWLRQ RI WKH GHVLJQ DQG FRQĂ&#x20AC;LFWV RI WKH V 7R HPSKDVLVH this  stripping  back  to  basic  physical  form,  artists  and  galleries  rejected  the  use  of  the  plinth  as  an  element  in  displaying  and  exhibiting  art.   â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sculpture  without  the  support  of  the  plinth  meant  that  it  was  drawn  back  to  the  realm  of  the  everyday,  whereas  the  plinth  raised  the  status  of  high  art  -  literally  as  a  pedestalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;  (Plinth  by  Plinth  p.  1).We  VHH D VLPLODU VKLIW LQ ODQJXDJH DV ZRUGV DQG XVDJH HYROYH WR UHĂ&#x20AC;HFW FXUUHQW FRQWH[WV The  noun/verb  relationship  is  perhaps  one  of  the  most  interesting  linguistic  shifts  to   REVHUYH LQ WKH FRQWH[W RI HOHFWURQLF FRPPXQLFDWLRQ )RU H[DPSOH XVH RI WKH REMHFW FDOOHG â&#x20AC;&#x153;the  telephoneâ&#x20AC;?  resulted  in  an  activity  called  â&#x20AC;&#x153;phoningâ&#x20AC;?  someone:  the  noun/object  â&#x20AC;&#x153;phoneâ&#x20AC;?  (or  telephone)  created  an  action/verb  verb  â&#x20AC;&#x153;to  phone.â&#x20AC;?   Current  communication  parallels  would  be  email  and  text  messaging,  with  these  practices  prompting  a  second  evolution  GULYHQ E\ WKH QHHG IRU HIÂżFLHQF\ ,Q WKLV OLQJXLVWLF PLQLPDOLVP ZH DUH VHHLQJ ZRUGV DQG phrases  reduced  to  only  their  essential  components:  extraneous  letters  and  conven- tional  spellings  are  disregarded  to  facilitate  communication  in  the  fastest  way  possible.  The  oscillation  of  the  noun/  verb  relationship  is  not  uncommon  in  context  of   contemporary  art,  with  artists  ministering  the  objects  status  as  a  thing  and  its   status  as  a  sign.  The  readymade  as  an  object  (noun),  was  demonstrated  through   'XFKDPSÂśV )RXQWDLQ UHYHDOLQJ WKH GLIIHUHQFH EHWZHHQ WKH WKLQJ DV VLJQ DQG WKH WKLQJ DV PDWWHU -RVHOLW :KLOH WKH UHDG\PDGH DV DFWLRQ YHUE ZDV SUHVHQW LQ -DVSHU Johns  exploration  of  the  syntactic  condition  of  objects  within  particular  conditions  RI XWWHUDQFHV IRU H[DPSOH WKH DFWLRQV RI REMHFWV VXFK DV WKH UXOHU -RVHOLW S
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The  swinging  relationship  between  objects  and  text  (text  to  describe  objects  and   objects  to  describe  text)  becomes  central  within  the  realm  of  commodity  and  technological   networks.   The  chiasmus  created  by  this  relationship  is  similar  to  the  relationship  of  text  to  describe  art,  and  text  as  art.  Â
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aturally  there  are  the  usual  notes,  scribbles,  folded  paper,  arrows  and  boxes  â&#x20AC;Ś  but  the  studies  that  evolved  from  immersing  ourselves  in  text  art  history  are  what  have  evolved  into  the  groundwork  for  this  show.   These  studies  use  imagery  largely  drawn  from  a  collec- tion  of  images  of  text  based  art,  and  were  created  in  the  style  of  paste  ups,  commonly  used  in  pre-Âcomputer  days  in  the  magazine  industry  for  creating  fashion  and  advertising  images.  Â
Some  of  the  work  in  the  studies  is  most  likely  recognizable  to  many  (i.e.  that  of  Roy   Lichtenstein)  while  others  are  not  as  well  known  outside  the  realm  of  contemporary  and  conceptual  art  (i.e.  that  of  Martin  Creed).  The  names  relate  to  simple  words  that  are   commonly  used  in  both  the  everyday  and  the  world  of  technology  and  network  communi- FDWLRQ )RU H[DPSOH WKH ZRUG 6+$5( $V FKLOGUHQ ZH DUH WDXJKW WR EH QLFH WR VKDUH RXU things  with  others;Íž  children  share  too  much,  sometimes  unwittingly.    Our  more  mature  selves  share  stories,  space,  secrets  and  time  with  those  we  trust.    Sharing,  in  its  traditional  context,  has  an  implication  of  intimacy  or  economics.   In  its  â&#x20AC;&#x153;social  media  context,â&#x20AC;?  sharing   becomes  purely  functional  or  convenient:  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll  share  that  document,  link,  picture,  with  you.â&#x20AC;?  Shareâ&#x20AC;Ś  Just  a  simple  word.
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In  the  Gallery: Sixteen  plinths  occupy  the  main  gallery.
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pon  entering,  the  viewer  encounters  two  white  plinths,  positioned  to  interfere  with  WKH YLHZHUVÂś SDVVDJH LQWR WKH JDOOHU\ 7KH ZRUGV /22. DQG ,16,'( DUH RQ WKHVH plinths.   Beyond,  in  the  main  gallery,  the  remaining  identical  plinths  are  arranged  in  a  grid-Âlike  pattern,  appearing  to  await  the  â&#x20AC;&#x153;importantâ&#x20AC;?  objects  that  are  to  be  placed  on  top.   The  minimal  all-Âwhite  environment  is  almost  sterile.   As  the  viewer  approaches  each  plinth,  they  will  observe  an  opening  to  its  inside,  through  which  the  intimate  space  within  the  interior  of  the  plinth  can  be  viewed.    One  or  a  combination  of  objects,   photographs,  collaged  or  sculptural  elements  occupy  this  space. Through  the  combination  of  archival  narratives  and  references,  each  work  takes  into  FRQVLGHUDWLRQ WKH WUDQVLWRU\ DVSHFWV RI ERWK DUW DQG ODQJXDJH )RU H[DPSOH RQH FRXOG UHĂ&#x20AC;HFW RQ WKH VKLIWV LQ WKH XVH DQG GLVSOD\ RI ODQJXDJH IURP WKH GD\V RI WKH (J\SWLDQ tablet  to  our  current  â&#x20AC;&#x153;smart  tabletâ&#x20AC;?. Combining  traditional  art-Âmaking  techniques  with  contemporary  methods,  we  focus   attention  on  the  extent  to  which  our  current  cultural  trends  are  informed  by  repurposed  everyday  practices.  In  this  process,  we  â&#x20AC;&#x153;repurposeâ&#x20AC;?  art  imagery,  concepts,  and  everyday  objects  to  demonstrate  the  similar  adaptations  of  simple  words.  By  drawing  parallels  EHWZHHQ WKH VLJQLÂżFDQFH RI WKH ZRUG DQG LQVWDQWO\ UHFRJQL]DEOH VLJQLÂżHU RI DQ REMHFWV status  (the  plinth),  hierarchies  are  questioned  and  challenged. 7KH ZRUGV /22. ,16,'( +20( 6($5&+ 9,(: /,1. 6+$5( &211(&7 /,.( )2//2: 7(506 5()5(6+ 6,7( &200$1' +,6725< '(/(7( DQG 6(/(&7 DUH RQ each  plinth  in  the  gallery.   These  words,  in  this  order  and  in  the  context  of  computer  or  internet  usage,  roughly  follow  a  typical  social  media  and/or  internet  â&#x20AC;&#x153;session,â&#x20AC;?  and  the  SOLQWKV LGHQWLÂżHG WKLV ZD\ (DFK ZRUN FUHDWHV LQWLPDWH PRPHQWV IRU WKH YLHZHU WR UHĂ&#x20AC;HFW RQ WKH VKLIWV WKDW KDYH GHÂżQHG RXU FXOWXUH
Exhibition  and  Essay  by   Roja  Aslani  and  Cindy  Marshall
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