Visual art exhibitions and events with a platform for critical writing
Derby Museum and Art Gallery, Derby
21 January – 5 March
Reviewed by: Michael Forbes
I put it to you that painting would be dead if it was not for the invention of photography. All contemporary artists are influenced by the history of photography and the photographic image. Ben-Zenou, the winner of the Vickers Art Prize 20051, has skilfully brought together the two mediums in her show ‘Industrial Relations’, where she explores the industrial landscape of Derbyshire mines, quarries and factories for building and testing jet engines.
Initially these large-scale paintings scream Photoshop filters, but on closer inspection we are drawn into the world of industrial material. Ben-Zenou creates an incestuous relationship between the sites and the completed paintings, by using the raw materials of limestone dust, fired brick dust, raw brick, coal dust, alabaster dust, and combining them with spray paint and acrylic, giving the work a sense of place. Ben-Zenou has transformed these noisy, dirty, dangerous and dusty sites into calm tableaux of beauty.
Ben-Zenou uses Polaroids as her sketch book and memory aid, which reflects in the composition and the format of the paintings – we see large beams, conveyor belts and scaffolding poles entering and exiting from all sides and all angles (in some ways it would have been good to see some of these lines extend onto the gallery walls).
There are three really strong paintings in this show: these are Longcliffe Quarry (scalping), Middleton mine (crushingscreening) and Rolls-Royce: Test Bed 57 (victoryroad) – in the world of photography they would recommend, shoot loads more film and edit ruthlessly.
Is this a good exhibition? I feel it is important that work brought into the ‘white cube’ has limitations – unless it engages with the space. It therefore emphasises the creative bond, which needs to be developed between the curator and the artist to create an intellectual and visually stimulating exhibition.
1The Award aims to enrich the cultural life of Derbyshire with new art of national importance, accessible to and informed by local people. This is a significant new award, offering an artist a fee of £13,000, studio for a year, material and travel expenses, catalogue of work, plus two exhibitions at Derbyshire galleries.
Writer detail:
Michael Forbes
www.arttart99.com
Venue detail:
Derby Museum and Art Gallery
The Strand, DERBY DE1 1BS
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