GAVIN HIPKINS 'The Pavilion' (2011) 40-part series of photographs
The Ryan Renshaw Gallery in Fortitude Valley is built into the hillside on Warry Street; it’s black exterior camouflaging the small building, giving it a standoffish feel. On closer inspection, the entrance is elegantly signed and somewhat less intimidating than the view from the footpath. Entering through the front doors, I found myself in a long white-walled room, where I was greeted by one of the Gallery’s staff members. She informed me that I was standing in the Main Gallery, and that the work hanging here is by Gavin Hipkins. Furthermore, the space immediately to my right is called the Project Room, currently occupied by an instillation piece by Justene Williams.
The Project Room – Justene Williams – Berlin Burghers Microwave Monet.
A collection of video works.
As I entered the Project Room I was faced with 14 televisions on wooden crates. The small room, hot from the monitors, seemed to add to the feel of the Williams’ works. Watching the many screens, I observed the repetitive movements, of dance, cooking, swinging a suitcase, and hula-hoop like rings. The images so fractured that the experience is not unlike watching a strobe light. The sound accompanying the works was an intense whirring, background noise, a layering of unrecognizable sounds.
Although I feel uncertain about the meaning of the works, the costuming was fascinating, and the tribal feel of the dance almost entrancing.
However, overall, I found Williams’ piece to be an unsettling information overload, which left me with an overwhelming desire to move away from it.
The Main Gallery – Gavin Hipkins – The Pavilion.
Photography
40 prints 860cm x 104cm (each print 80cm x 40cm)
The Main Gallery, as the name would suggest, is a larger room, much cooler, and airy than it’s counterpart. As I glanced around I noticed that all but one of the walls in the room was bare. Hipkins’ prints take up the long wall down the center of the gallery, looping together so that there is no beginning or end to the work.
The panels consist of clouds, grey panels, and coloured balls, which appear to be in random order, however the images flow so beautifully, leading me to believe that this no accident or chance, but a carefully thought out construction.
Hipkins’ photographs show amazing detail, in addition to this, his use of colour and light give the images the appearance of weightlessness, objects seeming to float and protrude from their frames.
The more time that I spent viewing this sequence of images; the more I enjoyed the serene, calming effect that they seem to have. I find it interesting that something so ‘everyday’ can combine to give the viewer a specific feeling. In contrast to Williams’ works, I felt as if I could’ve stared at these images all day.
The stark distinction between the artists exhibits makes for a thought-provoking juxtaposition. While both artists skillfully elicit an emotional response from the viewer, Williams’ works feel uneasy, an assault one’s senses, whereas, Hipkins’ works have a certain dreamlike quality, which invite you to drift away. It is this opposition that makes for a noteworthy gallery experience that will continue to haunt viewers long after leaving Ryan Renshaw.
Natasha Weller
Natasha Weller
JUSTENE WILLIAMS
Berlin Berghers Microwave Monet Pulp Action Aeroplane Humping Machine (2010-2011)
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