31 May - 13 July 2008
Cold Comfort: The Craft Sublime
is an exhibition featuring nationally recognised artists who
use craft -based techniques and cosy materials in their work.
At first glance the art works appear comforting, warm and enticing but as you explore further,
you will soon become aware that things are not as they seem.
This exhibition is
constructed as a fantasy tropical island. Imagine that you have been shipwrecked in stormy
waters, only to find yourself washed up on a colourful island paradise. While the
island is a sanctuary, there are traces of human habitation but no one is to be seen.
Who are these occupants? Are they friend or foe? In the face of the
unknown, the warmth and colour of the island presents a cold sort of comfort.
The island as a utopia or
dystopia, a place where dreams can soon turn to nightmares, is an often recurring theme in books,
films and television programmes. In philosophy and psychology the ‘island’ is a projection
of the subconscious, being the opposite of consciousness and civilisation. From ‘Lord
of the Flies’ to ‘Survivor’ the island represents an isolated environment for the observation of
fundamental human behaviours. In 'Swiss Family Robinson' and ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’,
the island also presents new possibilities and ways of living, adapting to the new environment but
retaining aspects of the culture left behind.
Cold Comfort: The
Craft Sublime uses these concepts of the ‘island’
to explore newly charted terrain in the field of contemporary New Zealand art. This is the
emerging phenomenon of artists who use craft-based techniques for conceptual effect in their
work. Collectively, these artists use the homely and comforting notions of craft as a
tactic to draw attention to other and sometimes, quite unsettling concerns. In this
respect, these artists are also working with the concept of the sublime – something that is
alluring but spine chilling at the same time.
The island concept also
offers the opportunity to experience these art works free from the politics of the age old
art/craft debate. For these artists, craft is a physical and conceptual element in their
practice – art is craft and craft is art. In essence, these artists express a new and
confident attitude toward traditional art hierarchies and this island presents an environment where
the imaginative, provocative and intelligent concepts of their art works can be expressed.
Anna-Marie White
Curator