Important Artefacts | 24th November 2010 | 6-8pm | admission FREE
For the final ARC of 2010, Anneka French presents Important Artefacts, an exhibition which brings together six artists from the West Midlands and beyond to exhibit works including paintings, works on paper, installation, live work, projection and text.
Important Artefacts draws on the history of site as a place for keeping objects of value. It seeks to address the idea of collecting as a process of investigation or accumulation, the idea of collections as things to display, and of the collector as someone driven by a particular passion. How objects are chosen, ordered and presented, and how these decisions are marked by emotional, aesthetic and conceptual judgements are central to this exhibition.
The slides shown by Matthew Andrews are selected from a large collection of vintage slides, valued for their aesthetic qualities and the narratives they inspire. Similarly, Jane Morrow presents a series of live ‘lots’ that look at the gaps between word, image and object, and how we might fill these. Her work specifically refers to a novel of 2009 by Leanne Shapton, from which this exhibition takes its title.
Following a more historical approach, ideas of museum collections and displays are alluded to within the paintings of Tutte Newall, and an installation of objects by Tim Robottom. These painstakingly created works contain references to the discoveries of archaeology and natural history, amongst other forms of enquiry.
The works of both Molly Rooke and Joanne Masding take a more conceptual approach to collections. Everyday objects such as postcards and plastic bags are displayed in a way which invites close consideration. The works might be said to address notions of development, relating specifically to the selection, editing and context of objects and ideas.
Important Artefacts is curated by Anneka French and is accompanied by a small publication. The exhibition is open from 6pm until 8pm on 24th November 2010 and is held at The Vaults, Newhall Hill, Birmingham B1 3JH.
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