Tacita Dean at MCA, Sydney
The current Tacita Dean show at MCA is fantastic. As I purchased a ticket, I was informed that there was over three hours worth of films to view and that I was allowed to duck out for fresh air or for something to eat as frequently as I needed. The first work that I viewed upon entering the gallery was the 16mm film Buon Fresco. The film painstakingly documents a Giotto fresco in an Italian basilica, one close-up detail at a time. The images focus on the rigours of artistic process, particularly where Giotto had made mistakes or redone something, minor textures that wouldn't ordinarily be seen from a distance. This film set the atmosphere for the show; for the work requires the viewer to adapt to a slow pace, to consider each consecutive image for its own worth, while also framing Dean's interest with things trapped in the past.
I loved all of the film work that was presented, but one of the highlights was a portrait of the artist Claes Oldenburg. The work had this kind of ghostly quality as you would watch Oldenburg potter around his studio in a golden hue of sunlight, and watch as his hands inarticulately drew across a sheet. He was devoid of any sense of self consciousness, his attention devoted entirely to his work. What I particularly liked about Dean's work was the sound design which heightened the whirs of the world outside to a kind of eerie effect. I watched it twice, just so I could focus on the sound of cars beeping, sirens, and the echoes of distant conversation.. I later read that Oldenburg died the year before the film was finished, and it is this sort of uncanny link with the dead or the past that lingers over Dean's work.
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| Claes Oldenburg draws Blueberry Pie, 16mm, 2023, Tacita Dean |