H.I.C.A, Dalcrombie, Loch Ruthven, Inverness-shire, until 7 June 2009

Alec Finlay - Alien Bread

THIS LATEST exhibition at H.I.C.A provides an interesting meditation on language both visual and literary.

Poem-objects arranged as a high tea installation and a collection of tea moon spill prints with mesostic name poems by Alec Finlay present the viewer with a delightful interplay between text, form and materials. The show is beautifully presented with enough space around the work to encourage contemplation of each element.

High Tea consists of a number of works by the artist presented on a congenially laid table. Each object; the thought -cloud tea cups and saucers with transfer design (2007 edition of 150), the alien/ yield bread with imprinted text baked in a limited edition tin (2005 edition of 8), biscuits in the shapes of isles and lakes (Derwent Water, Rousay, Sado, Savil, Walden Pond, Westlake, edition of 1 metal biscuit moulds) and the mesostic jam and jelly (rowan, bramble, raspberry, redcurrant and marmalade) 2008-9, is embedded in everyday domesticity and social ritual.

Cast in the mould of poetic art object, the biscuits and bread juxtapose familiarity with unexpected form and text. This arrangement of art objects is both playful and an invitation for closer inspection. The loaf branded with the words alien and yield on its seemingly benign crust and the isles and lake biscuits arranged for polite consumption on an assortment of blue and white china add an interesting twist.

The most enjoyable element, however, is rhythmic – the play of language in mesostic form on the jam jars, beautifully accenting the contents within. The word MARMALADE, for example, vertically intersecting the horizontal lines of text; “lemon and green lime make delicious and acidulous lovers”, or ROWAN; “cluster orange awaken another autumn” roll on the tongue like the colour, texture and flavour of the jam or jelly they describe. Finlay’s ongoing exploration of haiku and renga poetic traditions together with his presentation of the poem-object within the installation are equally enjoyable.

His tea-moon prints (1-16, paper, tea and pencil) 2007-2009 have a simple, calligraphic quality rendered in tea stains as a medium for delicate drawing. The relationship between form and ideas is realised in the way in which the drawn mark echoes the sentiment or essential expression of the text. The solid premeditative circular stain of the first print, PUERH, 3 I 09 with the mesostic text; “ripen yourself prepare for thought”, or the drifting stain drawn from the edge of the paper of HOJICHA, II I 09; “how smoke just drifts curled within air” are good examples.

We are encouraged to contemplate the quality of each word by the presentation, pared down to the communication of essential ideas, thoughts or feelings. The poetic structure coupled with drawings created from spillage create an interesting dynamic and many of the meditations contain a warmth and positivity that is unexpected in a contemporary art space.

Alexander and Susan Maris have contributed THERAPEUTICUM (Friday Objects) 1996-2020 Artists Fly Fishing, consisting of a series of objects as a “piscatorial homage” to Joseph Beuys and his work on Rannoch Moor in 1970. The series of objects including: Friday Object No.1a Rannoch Brown Fly (Trout fly with brown body, copper ribbing & red cock- hackle) Size 14, edition of 1,000), Friday Object No.3 Reproduction Beuys vest and Friday Object No.4 Beuys Hat have an enigmatic presence in the gallery space, especially the iconic hat.

Beuys is a divisive and ambiguous figure in the history of art, and the Maris’s description of the work; “From the imaginary retrospect of a distant future, we conscientiously deconstruct a photograph encaptioned ‘Joseph Beuys – The Greatest Artist of the 20th C…’, in which the apparel of the mentor suggests that we should endeavour to master the Art of Fly-fishing” suggests not simply a homage but a critical examination, albeit a playful interrogation.

Whilst this idea is interesting, it relies too heavily on written explanation rather than on visual communication. Accompanying text not directly part of a piece of work may give insight as to the artist’s intent, inspiration or process, but it is no substitute for the work itself which will stand or fall all on its own.

The piece of visual work should justify the statement, not the other way around, and the Maris’s Friday Objects together with their Kettle works were visually dull. KETTLE from Heather Tea on Rannoch Moor 2005 consists of a display of twelve Trangia N025 Kettles used once to boil Rannoch water for heather tea and engraved with the names of each river where the water was collected.

Part of an Edition of 21 and with an accompanying DVD of each kettle boiling in its natural location, these are works which struck me as self indulgent and of little interest to anyone but the participating artists. The unique burn marks on each kettle as accidental marks along with the engraving differentiate them, but as a visual statement these multiples lack the meaning that only a written statement from the artist and a degree in art history can give.

Extracting the kernel of anything that promotes the question of “what is art?” is a useful catalyst for critical debate, so in that sense the Maris’s creative explorations are interesting intellectually perhaps, but not stimulating or engaging enough when approached purely in visual terms. There is a lack of equality between technique and ideas and a reliance on explanation secondary to the work to justify it.

This is an interesting well presented show which I hope will open up debate about the relationship between art and text in contemporary practice.

HICA is  open on Sundays 2 – 5pm, or by appointment.

© Georgina Coburn, 2009

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