Mike Billington, Daniel Eatock, Kate Gilmore, Camille Laurelli, Dave Murray
can’t NOT is an exhibition proposal that was developed through the inaugural session of the Independent Curators International Curatorial Intensive program in June of 2010.
can’t NOT:
Self-Defeating Gestures in Contemporary Art
[upper] Dave Murray, 85% Of The Art I Made Turned Into A Diamond, 2010. 0.29 carat diamond made from the cremated remains of 24 attempted projects, 5/16” x 5/16” x 3/16”.
[lower] Dave Murray, 85% Of The Art I Made Turned Into A Diamond, 2010. Detail.
The are naive efforts made in oblivion to inevitable failure and then there are inevitable failures fueled by self-awareness and protected by humor. While not failure at its earnest, this second kind does however exercise limitations in preparation for confronting profound truths.
can’t NOT is a group exhibition of five international contemporary artists who challenge established limitations through active pursuits made in vain or passive surrenders to powers at be. A deskilled approach and use of accessible materials highlight more of an anti-process, which gives a sense of immediacy, urgency and at times haphazardness. Grappling with shortcomings head on, the work serves as monument to the nobility in attempting the impossible. It’s the middle finger to nay sayers, the last drop of effort it takes to wave a white flag or the chance you just can’t not take.
Kate Gilmore, Cake Walk, 2005, Video still
Toronto-based artist Mike Billington’s of-the-moment ink drawings paired with straightforward text gives way to a cynical yet simplified acceptance of shortcomings. Brooklyn-based, Kate Gilmore, tests her own physical limitations in Cake Walk as she struggles through the self-induced challenge of climbing a sloped wooden board coated with cake while wearing roller skates. London-based Daniel Eatock proposes challenges through an open call, then compiles and arranges the participants’ attempts. In No Photo, “photography prohibited” signs are photographed generating small victories over perceived limitations. In another series by Eatock, vessels made from exactly two pounds of clay are arranged by the amount of water they hold, rendering strife towards an undefined goal visible. Based in Grenoble, France, Camille Laurelli contributes a looped video of a watering can in a rain storm streamed from youtube, as well as a commissioned takeaway text by Inès Sapin which explores at length why Camille Laurelli is the worst artist in history. Two photographs by Chicago-based Dave Murray document the artist’s caring intentions yet careless attempts to improve upon nature with gestures that own up to the limitations of man. Murray’s piece, 85% Of The Art I Made Turned Into A Diamond, punctuates the exhibition noting the obscure value gained through failure.
[upper] Dave Murray, postcard sunset 1, 2009, ink jet print, 16”x24.”
[lower] Dave Murray, Mend, 2009, injet print,16”x24.
ARTISTS INCLUDE
Mike Billington, Toronto, Canada
Daniel Eatock, London, England
Kate Gilmore Brooklyn, New York, USA
Camille Laurelli, Grenoble, France
Dave Murray, Chicago, Illinois, USA
TECHNICAL SPECS
Number of artists: 5; Number of works: 18. 1 DVD player; 1 Flat screen monitor; 1 set of headphones; 1 laptop with internet access. This exhibition is ideally for a space between 1,000 and 1,500 square feet.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES
Mike Billington, 8.5x11, 2009, Ink and water color.
Mike Billington, 8.5x11, 2009, Ink and water color.
Daniel Eatock, Two Pounds of Wet Clay, 2009.
Daniel Eatock, No Photo, 2010.
All images are courtesy of the artist.
LEARN MORE
For further information about this project or The Curatorial Intensive, please email education@ici-exhibitions.org.
