Precious

Judy McIntyre

Opening: April 17 5:30 pm

Viewing: April 17 until April 27

“Life doesn’t last: art doesn’t last” – Eva Hesse

I’ve enjoyed returning to the medium of papier mache and have used it to explore the way we attach value to artworks that include ideas of permanence and perfection. This exhibition came after a trip to see the galleries and museums of Italy and was juxtaposed with a book I was reading on the Japanese philosophy of Wabi sabi.

Personal experiences and cultural values influence the response to the physicality of an artwork, and the materiality of a work is important as it refers to the genesis of the work, how the work came into being. To focus only on the artwork without its practice is to risk losing the understanding of art as process. As an artist, I cannot predict the outcome of an artwork as the process is what eventually leads me to something, or sometimes nothing!

The process of making for these works was one of construction, deconstruction and reconstruction. Using tissue paper and PVA created a dichotomy of strong yet seemingly fragile works and helped to play into my thoughts around the value we often place on the materials themselves.

These works offer an awareness of process, and the physicality of the artworks, like ourselves, are a moment in time rather than a timeless artifact.

{ Gallery 2 }