IMMEDIATE EFFECT
The first experience of seeing a work, and its immediate impact on the viewer, has always been a specific consideration in the practice of Morrissey and Hancock, who work collaboratively, both as practicing systems-leaning artists and as artist-curators. Geometric form is a language that elicits an immediate response, whether in relation to work on paper, interior design, design used in furnishing, sculpture or the wider architectural environment. Repetition, pattern and structure are recognizable and identifiable cultural signifiers that are universally accessible and familiar across political and social divides. The artists’ works chosen for this exhibition reflect these considerations and are, by the artists’ own definition, contemplative. Each iteration represents a constant, process-led exploration of conceptual space within the developing post-minimalist canon. Saturation Point is a London-based online editorial and curatorial project that promotes reductive, geometric and systems art in the UK. It was founded by artists Patrick Morrissey and Hanz Hancock in 2014. Morrissey and Hancock’s curated exhibition of the same name in 2011 subtitled An International Survey of Reductive Art presented the work of 16 internationally selected artists. Morrissey and Hancock extended this investigation into the general legacy of non-objective abstraction and its current manifestation in the UK.
MORRISSEY AND HANCOCK
DEEP AND WIDE
When I was given the chance to do a second curation in Kyiv, in collaboration with KNO, this time at The M17 Contemporary Arts Center, as Co-founder of t e k s a s, I did not hesitate and knew immediately the direction my curatorial ideas would take me: to go deeper and wider into the matter. My first show, NONOBJECT at the Bulgakov Museum, showed an international response, mainly of painters working quite directly with painting as object, showing a historical relation to Malevich, Suprematism and the continued international dialogue of artists in this particular field. The works juxtaposed in this exhibition are of very different character. I have chosen these particular works to create a moment of mystery, a dialogue in the language of art. The works seem to create their own sphere, a sphere which can lead our minds in various directions and in a way go “behind the scenes” of the nonobjective studio, touching maybe the moment of (a) creation. It is like a river, deep and wide, where currents from different streams form a force going in different directions, but all were offspring from the same source and hence, maybe deeply rooted in the thought of “the nonobjective” – it is evident with the evolution that, when you look back at the wave catching up on you, several waves will already have passed you. As we look back at historical milestones, it is today possible for us to analyze and draw conclusions on movements like Suprematism, Nonobjective Art, Bauhaus, Futurism etc. We like to categorize and set up systems, so that we may find peace of mind in something that may disturb us. No doubt, public felt disturbed by The Black Square (K. Malevich 1915) as was public when hearing the Second-String Quartet (A. Schoenberg 1911) introducing 12-tone composition. Industrial inventention, revolutions, and wars coloured the development of the art decisively in the beginning of the 20th century, a period many today regard as a base to study and to develop from. In the day the struggle was different, the world was changing and clearly the radical changes came first from art and science, to be absorbed slowly by the public. The artists assembled here at M17, from all corners of the world, are scholars, constructors, researchers and, what I find, artists developing language and wonders, maybe even magic, in their endeavours to create. Each of the artists are highly respected in their separate fields and are widely exhibited internationally. These artists cover a wide field, some seeking occult corners, some renewing ancient traditions. others again questioning their own medium or researching new materials and mathematics. Uniting these artworks is the apparent wish to make daring constellations and to take chances on the definition of art. In presenting these works, I ask the public to take the same steps and choose an open mind to sense the magic of human invention and freedom of expression – art is a natural part of human expression. Thank you to the participating artists for the specific works and a special thank you Lone Mertz and The Estate of Albert Mertz. Also, here a thank you to KNO and M17 for this great initiative.
PETER HOLM
FRONT STREET
Front Street is the largest community of artists and artisans in Dayton, Ohio. The Front Street Buildings are home to over 100 art creators and a dozen independent companies, making us the largest art colony in the Midwest. Our 66 artists and galleries, 30 photographers, 10 woodworkers, three filmmakers, and locally owned businesses are home to several of the most respected creative forces in the tri-state region. Divisible is a creative collaboration between Mike Elsass, Jeffrey Cortland Jones, and Front Street. Divisible’s mission is to showcase innovative and intelligent work by innovative and intelligent people.
