STUFF : The Culture of Obsolescence Samuel J. Zacks Gallery APRIL 7-‐18, 2014 Stong College, York University Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3
The culture of obsolescence embeds us in a field of expiring objects. Things that we take as direct markers of identity will eventually break, become passé, or have to be upgraded and we, immersed in the staccato of our material culture, have somehow come to accept a fragmented sense of self. This exhibit, through the work of 14 artists, explores ways in which we assimilate the culture of obsolescence. Selected entries are grouped to represent the negotiations and contradictions we process subconsciously in an age driven by choice, innovation, lifestyle and progress.
Clockwise From The Intro Panel Expiry & Reinvention Monika Bodirsky’s work is created from objects found in flea markets. She learns the history of each item before setting it within a diorama of other orphaned objects. Vanessa Arnold’s series of shivs is a dark reinterpretation of an everyday object that has lived past its intended use. Desire & Demise Tara Dorey’s painting of a kitschy television set crosses the imagery of the sacred with advertising. Lucas Johnson’s series documents the recent closure of the Sears store at the Eaton Centre. The store’s contents are rendered useless against the backdrop of the glamorous images that once drove customers to shop there. Waste & Progression Holly McClellan’s Garbage Dress is a site-‐specific project that critiques “fast fashion”. Members of the community at each location donated used clothing, from which she has constructed each of her unique dresses. Lauren Mulhorney’s Ethylene series touches on how abundance translates to desensitization. As we view a petrified specimen on a pedestal, she forces us to confront our own unease about the plastic bags that clutter our drawers. Luxury & Necessity Robin Tieu’s “Good Intentions” illustrates our failed attempts to fix problems, which usually make the problems worse. Ken Vickerson’s essay contemplates what makes an object worthy of repair, particularly perceptions in North America versus developing nations
Death & Resurrection Andrew Owen’s modern solargram is a revival of the long-‐ forgotten cyanotype photographic process. Anna Atkins developed it in 1842; her work was largely ignored and has recently become a highly prized art commodity. Jorge Ayala points to the incompatibility between current and outdated interfaces, and the inevitability of decay in the act of preservation. Elimination & Minimalism J.P. King provides an antidote to our material addiction through his book Materialists Anonymous, in which he adapts affirmations from AA, replacing the word alcohol with possessions. The flowchart gives step-‐by-‐ step instructions for anyone looking to de-‐clutter systematically. Development & Loss Georgina Walker explores the materiality of architecture and industry. She calls attention to the byproducts of construction and disrupted spaces within the city. Patrick Cummins has been photographing gradual changes in the urban fabric of Toronto since 1978. The series shows 100 Adelaide St E and 580-‐586 Richmond St W, giving us a glimpse of obsolescence in the built environment.
Obsolescence & Mortality Jenifer Sutherland’s twitter essay relays, in 66 tweets, the anxiety created by obsolescence. The essay explores the anxious transference of our mortality onto objects.
Vanessa Arnold is a feminist artist and educator, born in Ottawa, ON, currently living and working in Vancouver, BC. Her art practice is based in mixed media, spanning from miniature to gargantuan, and engaging with shop technologies, the arcane, the everyday, sculpture, drawing, photography, public art, and social media. Jorge Ayala is a Toronto-‐based new media artist whose practice focuses on temporality, ephemerality and immersive experience. His research in light and optics, and sound and acoustics, support his creation of installations that explore how sound can produce images in people’s minds. Ayala completed his undergraduate degree in New Media at the School of Image Arts at Ryerson University and has participated in workshops at IRCAM in Paris. He currently works as a freelance software developer and as a technical assistant at the Ryerson Image Centre. Monika Bodirsky holds a Bachelor of Design degree from OCAD University. She is currently an exhibiting designer who has worked as a sessional instructor at both Sheridan College and within the Faculty of Design at OCAD By drawing parallels between work fashioned from discarded goods, and, individual identities, Bodirsky questions the implications of contemporary global trends towards obsolescence and lost narratives. Patrick Cummins was recently featured in a documentary entitled The Impermanence of the Ordinary, an official selection at the 2013 HotDocs International Documentary Festival in Toronto. He is a graduate of the University of Guelph with a M.A. degree in Philosophy. His book, Full Frontal T.O., in addition to being short-‐ listed for the Toronto Book Awards, won an award of Excellence from Heritage Toronto in their book category. Tara Dorey work is driven by a feigned seriousness that pokes fun at her desire for the melodramatic. Works often cast unconventional characters in picturesque templates compiled of pop-‐cultural, art-‐historical and religious tropes, which overlap to encourage ridiculous associations that leave viewers with more questions than answers. Tara is an educator at Arts for Children and Youth and a facilitator of community mural projects at Mural Routes. Lucas Johnson is currently studying photography and media studies at OCAD University. His photographic practice is one of “sensory consumption”. It represents a progression of experiences and ideas, metaphors, and narratives. He searches for instances where the everyday is falling apart, exposing moments that speak to larger perceptions of society. He seeks to articulate his interpretation of the everyday—its drudgery, distractions, delusions, and indifference—encountered and depicted as a nuanced allegory of modern society. J.P King is an interdisciplinary artist, writer, researcher and publisher, whose work examines material culture, contemporary mythology, masculinity and speculative futures. Currently, he is completing his MA at OCAD, operates the experimental publishing studio Paper Pusher, is a designer and editor at Papirmass: Art Subscription, sits on the Board of Directors at Art Metropole, and lives in Toronto with his wife and collaborator, Kirsten McCrea. Prachi Khandekar is a curator with a keen interest in understanding how design mediates our experiences and structures the cultural realm. She studied Architecture at the University of Toronto and went on to do an M.A. in Design Criticism from the University of the Arts, UK. The concept for this
exhibit was developed after reflecting on our material legacy; much like relics from ancient civilizations, today’s manufactured goods are a way to understand our own milieu. Obsolescence, in her opinion, is the silent pulse that keeps us tied to, and circulating through, the sheer abundance of stuff around us. Holly McClellan is a photo-‐based artist. She completed her B.A. in Theatre Studies at York University and her Applied Photography Diploma at Sheridan College. Suburban living, consumerism and their connection to the environment influence her work. She is a member of the Iris Group a collective of women artists in Durham Region. She teaches at Durham College part time in the digital photography and fine art departments. Currently she resides in Bethany, Ontario. Lauren Mulroney is a fourth year visual arts major, studying at York University. She is passionate about projecting environmental and social issues to the public and believes that photography is a successful way to visually inspire audiences. She hopes to continue exploring the realm of documentary photography. Andrew Owen A01 is a professional visual artist and public art producer who recently re-‐established a studio in Toronto after operating in the Pacific Rim in Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Vancouver for almost two decades. Wildflowers Solargram is from a new and ongoing series large-‐scale photographs created with a variation of the archaic cyanotype photographic process. Jenifer Sutherland completed a Ph.D. from the Centre for Medieval Studies in 2002 on anxious reiterations and amplifications of the self through cultural narratives. In addition to scholarly papers, she has published personal essays, poetry and short fiction. She has worked as a freelance broadcaster for CBC Radio in the past and is a practicing psychotherapist in Toronto. Robin Tieu is 100% Canadian but made of foreign parts. Robin started her art education at Langara College and graduated from NSCAD. After graduation, she worked as an artist in residence at the Harbourfront Centre’s Craft studios. She now works for OCAD U as technician and sessional faculty. She has received grants and awards provincially and nationally, she was a juror for Canada Council for the Arts, and she makes good coffee. Ken Vickerson is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Design and Chair of Material Arts and Design at OCAD University. He graduated from the Alberta College of Art and Design in 1982, and in 1985 established a custom goldsmithing practice in Toronto. He has exhibited widely, including shows in Europe, Asia, America and Canada. Vickerson's work has been featured on the cover of Metalsmith Magazine, and his critical writing has been published in numerous journals and magazines. Ken was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts in 2003. Georgina Walker is a painter born in Calgary, Alberta. Raised in both her birthplace, as well as British Columbia, her frequent resettlement has influenced her artistic practice. She moved to Toronto in 2009 and is now an OCADU alumni. Having a background that is rooted in urban art culture, she has been constantly challenged to explore how the spaces we occupy shape us. She has been in group shows throughout Toronto, and participated in workshops & events for youth.
STUFF : A Culture of Obsolescence. April 7-18, 2014.
The culture of obsolescence embeds us in a field of expiring objects. Things that we take as direct markers of identity will eventually brea...
Published on Apr 24, 2014
The culture of obsolescence embeds us in a field of expiring objects. Things that we take as direct markers of identity will eventually brea...