pictured: Benedict Drew, Majestic Mountain, 2010
Gesamtkunstwerk at JTP10
The Gesamtkunstwerk project brings together international artists, musicians, writers, photographers, filmmakers, and curators that will undertake a road trip across the United States in 2012 with the purpose of putting on exhibitions, gigs, talks and events. From the west to east coast the project in itself will be a total artwork. Although originally intended for the Wagnerian opera, the term gesamtkunstwerk has been appropriated here, using its literal translation total artwork, for the purpose of describing this group of artists and their actions. This becomes a total artwork by encompassing the many facets of the arts: music, writing, and the visual arts. For the exhibition at James Taylor, a diverse selection of artists from this associated group has been chosen to represent the project. This is the first in the series of specially curated exhibitions after a show earlier in the year which brought together every artist involved.
Presented at James Taylor for Gesamtkunstwerk is an installation from Benedict Drew, nine-channel video work from Tessa Power, sculpture from Oscar Carlson and wall based work by Corinne Mynatt. The multimedia exploration through film by way of a Paramount mountain, hypnotic video portraits, Indian villages, and aesthetic sublimes all create a variation of thought-provoking journeys. The sculptural works have been carefully considered and constructed to stimulate the visual imagination. A minimum of visual information is given so that the viewer can appreciate their own visions, and reflect on aesthetic value systems. In contrast, the work of Benedict Drew presents a plethora of narrative structures that create a semi-fictional history of the downfall and regeneration of film. The work transcends media through history and exists beyond the gallery setting by permeating into the internet via a 2D barcode which links the viewer to digital downloads. In Power’s work we can reflect on expectations of humanity, visual realms of the absolute and the sublime nature of things. By stripping away individual identity and examining the power of the mind we recognise humanity’s collective need to make sense of things. The works evoke one’s imagination and challenge ideas about the mysterious nature of beauty.
Also introduced in this exhibition are two other facets to the Gesamtkunstwerk project: the Total Art Box and the re-touched photo portraits of each participant. Photo re-toucher Tom Wandrag will be creating photographic portraits of each person involved. The resulting group of re-touched portraits will be exhibited in each destination in the United States in 2012. These portraits will be taken over two weekends in the Gesamtkunstwerk space at JTP10. The Total Art Box will contain editions from artists of the project and is available in an edition of 50. All proceeds go towards the Gesamtkunstwerk project.
http://www.gesamtkunstwerk2012.co.uk
gesamtkunstwerk2012@gmail.com
