Author Archives: Mr. Turtle
MOCA Jacksonville Urges Patrons to Look Slowly
The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, a new host for Slow Art Day 2013, is exploring the concept of slow looking in an exhibition SLOW: Marking Time in Photography and Film that runs through April 7, 2013. Exploring the work of seven internationally known artists- Eve Sussman, Kota Ezawa, Sam Taylor-Johnson, Chris McCaw, Idris Khan, James Nares and David Claerbout- the museum challenges visitors to engage with the works for an extended period of time.
The exhibition features work that explores topics of time and duration through the fields of photography, film and video. In an age of mass production and instant gratification, the works in SLOW compliment and challenge one another as they confront typical perceptions of photography and the time-based restraints of a work of art.
Artists such as Eve Sussman and Sam Taylor-Wood give life to paintings past. Sussman, in 89 Seconds at Alcazar, animates the famous painting by Diego Velasquez, giving the viewer a look into the life of the painting’s characters before and after the composition. Along the same lines, Taylor-Wood, in Still Life, explores the work of the 17th century Dutch paintings by filming the decay of fruit plates, altering the viewer’s perception of time.
Other iconic videos that speak to one another are that of James Nares and David Claerbout. Nares’ Street, is a video work in which passersby seem to be frozen in time as the viewer moves along in real time whereas Claerbout’s work explores the relationships between the still photograph and the moving image, forcing the two to co-exist in his large, video installations.
The exhibition SLOW, also showcases the work of artists who explore different processes in photography such as Idris Khan’s appropriative work that consist of multiple layers, created the illusion of extended gestures and moments in time. And, yet, the viewer’s sense of time continues to be affected with Chris McCaw’s sun-etched photographs that track the sun and Kota Ezawa’s cut paper assemblages of iconic photographs.
Curated by MOCA Jacksonville director, Marcelle Polednik, Ph.D. SLOW is the museum’s landmark exhibition for 2013. Of the exhibition, Polednik says, “Time is not only the conceptual thread that binds all the works in the exhibition together, but also the real dimension that connects us to these explorations, providing we devote the seconds, minutes, or even hours to see them unfold. In taking the time to fully engage with these photographs, films and video works, we gain infinitely more than the minutes we spend.”
If you are in the Jacksonville area, be sure to stop by the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville to see this exhibition for yourself. And don’t forget to take your time. We look forward to seeing what MOCA does on Slow Art Day to continue the dialogue they have started with SLOW: Marking Time in Photography and Film.
-Dana-Marie Lemmer, Global Coordinator
Los Angeles, California – Fowler Museum at UCLA
Washington, DC – Freer Gallery of Art
New York, New York – Garvey | Simon Art Access
150+ venues registered for Slow Art Day 2013
Now in its fourth year, Slow Art Day 2013 is on track to be our biggest in the movement’s short history! We want to take a moment to highlight some of the milestones that Slow Art Day has reached this year due to the work of our dedicated group of volunteers and college interns (if you want to intern with us, click here to find out more).
Slow Art Day 2013 is taking place in:
- 150+ venues
- 128 different participating cities
- 20 countries, including Canada, Mexico, England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, Italy, France, the Netherlands, South Africa, Switzerland, Poland, Turkey, Lithuania and many more.
- 5 continents
Over the past year, our team has grown from 5 core volunteers to a team of over 15 people, strongly helped by the internship program that global coordinator Dana-Marie Lemmer created. Our team has been hard at work helping to raise awareness about Slow Art Day 2013. We now have 7,000+ followers on Tumblr, an active and growing Facebook and Twitter presence, and regular updates to this blog. We also built a global database of galleries and museums and are in constant communication with all of those institutions.
Of course, Slow Art Day would be nothing without our vast network of hosts from around the globe; from museum coordinators to art-lovers, our hosts have enthusiastically responded to the Slow Art movement, registering to host their own Slow Art Day events at their local museum or gallery.
There’s only three months left until Slow Art Day 2013. If you want to connect with other art lovers, enjoy the art of looking, and take a break from the hustle and bustle of our fast-paced world, then sign up to host in your city and become a part of this rapidly growing global movement.
– Alie Cline, Social Media Manager
San Salvador, El Salvador – Museo de Arte de El Salvador
Aberdeen, Scotland- University of Aberdeen Museums
The Nationalmuseum Showcases Artists That Slow Down
Featuring contemporary art and design made by artists using a slow creative process, the Slow Art exhibition launched recently at The Nationalmuseum in Stockholm and continues for another week. We know about this exhibit thanks to Slow Art Day host, Nadin Mai. She is running the Slow Art Day event at the The McManus Art Gallery & Museum.
Slow Art at the Nationalmuseum highlights thirty works from the Nationalmuseum’s permanent collections, including examples of silver, textile, glass and ceramic objects. Showcasing the work of artists such as Helena Hörstedt, Eva Hild and Jane Reumert, the exhibition features items that have been meticulously crafted, through a slow, and painstaking process.
The art ranges from Eva Hild’s ceramic sculptures to Helena Hörstedt’s handcrafted garnets, which emphasize structure and technique, to Jane Reumert’s work in porcelain and salt-glazed vessels.If you are in Stockholm, then be sure to stop by and appreciate the work slowly. If you can’t make it to the Nationalmuseum, download their free app for a virtual tour here.
-Dana-Marie Lemmer, Global Coordinator