A SLIGHT ACHE
Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff
Sat 16 Jun- Sun 30 Sep
Cardiff-born James Richards has received much acclaim for his video-based artworks, none being greater than a Turner Prize nomination in 2014 for Rosebud, his 13-minute black and white video exploring images from erotic books in a Tokyo library. His is a found-footage approach, working with VHS and mixtapes, layering old footage with audio clips and narrative to form a story, whilst also returning lost clips to the public domain. Based between Berlin and London, Richards has made time to focus on his old stomping ground and arrange a collection featuring nine artists, diverse in generation and style at the Chapter, following on from Migratory Motor Complex, which recently finished its exhibition run in May.
The artists all work in different formats but maintain a theme of everyday life and objects and materials set in contexts that derive intense emotions or suggest ritualistic habits. It is fundamentally a study of the human form, fragmented in how we think of and interact with the world.
Drawn pieces are said to focus on desire. Dani ReStack’s previous drawn work manipulates photography and extends it across the canvas, taking the ordinary image and challenging its meaning to the viewer. Torsten Slama’s delicate pencil drawings typically explore how scenery both normal and mundane to us can be made surreal by alteration of surrounding, for a great example, look no further than Slama’s collection Industrial Settlements in Outer Space. Cathy Wilkes and JX Williams work with found domestic materials, giving identity and character to inanimate objects; altering perceptions to items that surround us every day, challenging our previous understanding. Video contributions evoke thoughtful performances in formats including stop-frame and strobe lighting, manipulating our visual perceptions.
Most prominent is the association of Isa Genkzen, a key artistic figure over the past 30 years. Her work in painting, drawing, photography, films and sculpting with many materials is internationally renowned. Her more recent working in found object media will likely complement this collection perfectly; rumours of using her own head X-ray in the piece will be an intriguing inclusion.
Each piece stands alone, however collectively the pieces have been installed and organised by Richards to create a narrative personal and immersive to every individual. AMY LUDFORD
Admission: free.
Info: 029 2030 4400 / www.chapter.org
