Perhaps an allusion to the Shakespearean property of flesh, the latest exhibition at Sydney’s COMA gallery explores attitudes towards the human body as a physical object and organism, and the diverse personalities and lives dwelling within.
‘A Screen of Flesh’ includes international artists Tschabalala Self, Athena Papadopoulos and Nicholas Cheveldave with Australian artist Will Cooke. Their works deal with how stereotypes of the body are propagated in modern media and contemporary thought, relationships and the human connection, the way in which emotion is projected and expressed, and the body itself. COMA gallery director Sotiris Sotiriou provides some insight into the exhibition.
Tschabalala Self, Poker, 2017, acrylic, gouache, Flashe and Fabric on canvas, 172.72 x 127cm. Courtesy the artist and COMA, Sydney
The exhibition’s unifying theme is the human body. Can you elaborate on this?
It is true that the unifying theme of this show is ‘the body’, although it is facets of this simple thought that make up the concept for ‘A Screen of Flesh’. The body in this case is essentially a vessel for characteristics and thoughts such as emotion, opinion, one’s history and the actual flesh itself.
How did you arrive at this particular selection of artists?
The artists all bring something very different to the table from a multitude of aspects. Whether that be a career level, approach to the actual creation of the work or the conceptual elements of their practice. Their inclusion is based on an intersection of these properties and the intention of providing the viewer with a varied perspective on a singular theme.
Athena Papadopoulos, Big Grapevine (Dearest, Dearest), image transfers, thread, hair dye, jewellery chain, eyelettes, resin-based, self tanner and synthetic hair on wood and antlers. Courtesy the artist and COMA, Sydney
What can we expect to see from each artist in the exhibition?
The exhibition grew into a look at thought and emotion through physicality after examining the concepts of Self’s work and the way in which she views and projects visions of the black female form. Papadopoulos is equally fleshy and tangible, although the work is more personal and always feels like a real baring of the soul, even more so with the heavy use of reds and pinks.
While the body is present, the intention differs between Self and Papadopoulos and this is an interesting differentiation.
Cheveldave’s work involves everyday scenes and a semi-corrupted life overlaid with 3D rendering in amorphous forms. He has said in the past, “…it’s about an object that becomes bodily, and the flow is like a figure through the space”. The technical and digital approach to this took me to Cooke, who has been creating beautiful geometric abstractions, in this case illusion-based work on paper that explores the invisibility of memory while developing a sensory relationship with the viewer.
Nicholas Cheveldave, BYOB – Binge Dreamer III, 2017, photolaminate, acrylic, paper, hemp, friendship bracelets on canvas, 110 x 93cm. Courtesy the artist and COMA, Sydney
What were the challenges curating the exhibition?
Ensuring that individual artworks would tie together well in the space, as well as disparity in size is something that was a concern. There is a large installation component to Papadopoulos’ work in the show, while Cooke’s seven framed pieces are extremely small in comparison, balancing the distance and the way in which his are hung has been given a lot of thought.
Will Cooke, VISIONS 4, 2017, spray paint on Arches paper, 59 x 44cm. Courtesy the artists and COMA, Sydney
Although these works border on confronting – from Cooke’s representation of personal experiences into geometric form to Self’s portrayal of blackness and femininity, and Papadopoulos’s beautifully stained 2D and 3D creations to Cheveldave’s visceral and fleshy objects that gravitate towards the grotesque – they connect with the audience on both a personal and universal level, generating a productive discourse about contemporary views about the body. What do you hope the audience will take from the exhibition?
I hope the audience can spend some time thinking about the way in which people approach emotion and personal history in relation to living and growing up in different parts of the world.
Each artist has a very different background and approach to expressing their thoughts on the human body. Through the work the audience will be able to experience the artists’ exposure to, and musings on, love, loss, prejudice, experimentation and the human connection.
COMA
Until 23 June, 2017
Sydney
