One of the most common (and most true) criticisms leveled at contemporary art today is for its aloofness, a prescribed coolness that seems to purposefully alienates its audience requiring a level of translation that most ‘non art’ gallery goers don’t have the patience for. The biggest losers to this new cool (aside from the audience) seem to be artists motivated by the every day issues, big and small, that define who we are and where and how we live. Strangely the art world seems to get squeamish the closer we get to an accurate reflection of the world we live in, as if without the smoke and mirrors the slight of hand might be revealed and the art world will be shown for the fool.
The opposite can be true, art that gets us up close to the stuff and grit of life, can communicate the mystery and strangeness of being human best when we can recognize ourselves in it. Wellington based artist Murray Hewitt’s back catalogue of video works are filled with places and people that we recognize; suburban landscapes, petrol stations and rugby fields all feature, a lone costumed male figure reoccurs as do emptied out New Zealand landscapes. He uses the simplicity and power of the moving image to talk about everyday things (big and small), his work is often both funny and disquieting, wry commentaries on day-to-day life from the trivial to the political.
Murray Hewitt mostly works in video. With a distinct visual language his works have contemplated consumer behavior, remembered historic events, or mulled over current political ones: through the considered actions of a lone costumed figure, or repetitive stationary camera shots that encourage sustained deliberation from the viewer. To Pluck Water brings together two of Hewitt’s recent video works.
RAMP opens TONIGHT (Wednesday 25th July 5-7pm) with the opening preview of a great show by Wellington video artist Murray Hewitt: To Pluck Water – 25 July to 8 August 2012
Murray Hewitt mostly works in video. With a distinct visual language his works have contemplated consumer behavior, remembered historic events, or mulled over current political ones: through the considered actions of a lone costumed figure, or repetitive stationary camera shots that encourage sustained deliberation from the viewer.
