PROJECT SPACE SPARE ROOM / 19 November to 16 December 2010
In 2009/2010 seven invited artists participated in this annual residency program. Within the set premise of Delineated they explore the identity of line as both a spatial trajectory and a conceptual abstract.
A line is a line is a line
The handling of line is full of adventure. It soon reveals its double character. A line may be a self-contained visual object, which is seen as lying on top of a homogenous ground ... But as soon as a line or combination of lines embraces an area, its character changes radically and it becomes an outline or a contour. It is now the boundary of a two-dimensional surface that lies on top of a throughgoing ground. The line's relationship to the neighboring surfaces has ceased to be symmetrical. It now belongs to the inner surface... (Arnheim, R., Art and Visual Perception, England: Faber and Faber Ltd., 1956, 168.)
I have long been fascinated with what Arnheim refers to as the "double character" of a line—its ability to exist as both a connecting device and a tool of division. The threshold between these states, though, I would argue is not always a clear one. Though they are visually one in the same, a circle on a page may give the appearance of solidity while the typed letter 'o' is intrinsically more linear. This ambiguity between what is a line and what is an edge is not limited to context; a contour mark is not always guaranteed, nor intended, to be definitive. Delineation, the act of laying this line, is therefore as much a mapped trajectory between liminal points as it is a demarcation of "inner" and "outer" surfaces.
In an immediate manner these references resonate. Issues and sensitivity to perspective, motion, negative space and contour emerge from the work visually; quite literal boundaries are pushed, grey areas are redefined and pathways obsessively drawn. When line is seen not only as a graphic tool but also a theoretical one, this discourse quickly engages the very idea of boundary-making, cartography and periphery. What starts as a line, then, becomes a vantage point from which to survey the work: a way of seeing, planning and exploring. Through this process of conceptually and physically "embracing an area"—through the process of delineation—comes the possibility for discovery.
Marco Fusinato is represented by Anna Schwartz Gallery, Melbourne.
Kerrie Poliness is represented by Anna Schwartz Gallery, Melbourne.
Kiron Robinson is represented by Sarah Scout Presents, Melbourne.
Irene Hanenbergh is represented by Neon Parc,Melbourne, and Ryan Reshaw Gallery, Brisbane.
Belle Bassin is represented by Fehily Contemporary, Melbourne.
Curator Andrew Tetzlaff would like to acknowledge the support and assistance of Ruth Johnstone, Richard Harding, Stephen Gallagher, Drew Pettifer, Omnus Framing and Baddaginnie Run wines. The gallery would also like to thank the following people for their assistance: Gallery Technician Ceri Hann; Gallery Interns Anabelle Lacroix and Andre Piguet, and Adriane Hayward; and all of our Gallery Volunteers for their assistance with this exhibition.