This month I reviewed a much bigger art exhibition opening. The Nottingham Contemporary is Nottingham's biggest art galleries and is internationally known. This autumn they opened their doors to two new exhibitions from across the globe and I got the chance to review it. Enjoy!
Asco and Geoffrey Farmer at the Nottingham Contemporary
This autumn has seen the Nottingham Contemporary open its doors to two new international exhibitions. Geoffrey Farmer, a Canadian artist presents his multi-sensory two room installation piece. Whilst the Chicano group Asco show their first large scale European exhibition featuring work from their active years between 1972 to 1987.
At the opening event Alex Farquharson mentioned how they always wanted Geoffrey Farmer’s exhibition to look “like a cinematic film” and it does, the atmosphere is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced at an exhibition. The Avant garde installation uses old film and theatre props, found materials and a composition based on one by Frank Zappa in 1968.
The idea of cinema and film is seen throughout Asco’s No Movies exhibition. The group was originally made up of four artists Harry Gamboa Jr, Gronk, Willie F. Herrón III and Patssi Valdez. They were a small group of Chicano artists formed in the early 70’s. Emerging from the 60’s civil rights movement their work was not just a direct response to the discrimination of the Chicano community, within East LA but to wider issues like the Vietnam War. No Movies are a series of film stills from films that never existed. Yet they were staged as a trailer of a film even coming up with the “No Movie Awards” and even sent the photographs to the press disguised as films. They were a direct response to the lack of opportunity for Chicano artists in Hollywood cinema. It has been commented that since No Movies artists like Cindy Sherman have since been influenced by the idea behind film still photography.
The exhibition also revives Valdez’s Paper fashions show working with Nottingham artist Nadim Chaudry and Nottingham Trent students, making paper dresses and Primark jewellery emphasizing the cheapened look rather than commenting on how much money you have. An aesthetic seen throughout Asco’s art.
Like many famed artists before them, Asco is a group becoming known on an international scale for their political comments years after its disbandment. This particular exhibition is as mentioned previously, their first large scale European exhibition moving to de Appel in Amsterdam and CAPC in Bordeaux after its Nottingham opening.
The Nottingham Contemporary’s latest exhibition show two sides to the cinema, the idea of cinema presented by Asco against and the visual and sensory experience Geoffrey Farmer shares with you. Both exhibitions explore the surreal and is at times dada-esque providing an intriguing experience for all that visit.
Melissa Feeley
- See more at: http://platform-online.net/2013/11/asco-and-geoffrey-farmer-at-the-nottingham-contemporary/#sthash.s8lhW8cG.dpuf
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