In Darkness Let Me Dwell
In 2021 twelve artists made work- videos, objects, performances- in response to John Woolrich's Book of Inventions.
They were Marianela Orozco, Mick Williamson, Jane Bustin, the Brothers Quay, Tim Hopkins, Ash McNaughton, Diane Dever, Terry Smith, Chelsey Browne, Oote Boe and Gayle Chong Kwan.
Since then Anna Boggon, Brenda Mayo and Tomas Poblete have contributed to the project.
David Batchelor, Richard Wilson, Noriko Okaku, Mariateresa Sartori, Tatia Shaburishvili and Marita Solberg are making work for future events.
Gallery
New Work
Brenda Mayo
'The voices emerge from John Woolrich’s The Voices of Dust in a shimmering veil of sound. They remain suspended like whispers of recollection and fugitive thoughts. Making paintings in response I graft fragments of silk stained with traces of earlier works, to give voice to a weft of residue, like a bird in search of a song.'
Tomas Poblete
Usually, my painting process is quite direct. I stand with a blank mind in front of a canvas and let the materials take me in some unplanned direction. John Woolrich's music does the same: it takes me to a place I find difficult to describe.
It is a place where I can allow different parts of me to begin to disappear; where people are changing and what was thought unalterable disintegrates.
And just as in a dream where whole landscapes and characters change colour and texture at the stroke of an impulse, I somehow find a way of translating memories into the painted surface.
When painting this series, John Woolrich's music has become a catalyst between hand, mind and time. And every now and again - even when everything seems to move relative to everything else around in the real world – it allows a flow of consciousness to stream into the canvas as if this was a way for restoring order.
Videos
Anna Boggon ~ Memories Reimagined
Mick Williamson ~ A Short Story
Ash McNaughton ~ Morendo
Chelsey Browne ~ Nightshadows
Gayle Chong Kwan ~ A still tragic dance
Terry Smith ~ Dust to Dust
Jane Bustin ~ A Parcel of Airs
