Kaleidoscope International | Online November 2012

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REVIEW:'Ângela'Ferriera’s'“Stone'Free”#at#Marlborough#Contemporary+!

words&by&George&Vasey !!

!Ângela'Ferriera, 'Stone'Free:'Hendrix'Shaft . '2012 !

Courtesy)of)Marlborough)Contemporary !!“Shine' bright' like' a' diamond,”' sings' the' American' pop' star' Rihanna' in'a" recent" syrupy" ballad." The" lyric" could" have" been" airlifted" into"numerous( pop( songs( over( the( last( fifty( years, ( which( attests( to( the(popular' attachment" towards" the" diamond" as" metaphor." The" strongest"material( known( to( man,( its( name( is( derived( from( the( latin( for(‘ indestructible.’ / In/ the/refracted/surface/of/ the/diamond/we/project/our/own$ desires$ of$ immortality, $ everlasting$ love$ and$ obscene$ wealth. $Music, ' memory& and& the& diamond& trade& are& some& of& the& themes& that&emerge% in% “Free%Stone,”% a% solo% exhibition%at%Malborough%Contemporary%by# the# Portuguese# artist# Ângela# Ferriera. # It # brings# together# the#Cullinan'Diamond'Mines'of'South'Africa, 'Chislehurst'Caves' in'Kent !and$Jimi$ Hendrix. $ It $ is$ a$ knotty$ and$ cerebral$ exhibition,$ !requiring( time( to(

 

unpack' the' thicket' of' associations' generated' through' Ferriera’s'research. !! !The$ show’s$ title$ is$ l ifted$ from$ the$ first$ song$ Jimi$ Hendrix$ ever$ wrote, $and$ his$music$ plays$ sporadical ly# from# a# hidden# speaker# in# the# gallery. #The$ singer$ looms$ large$ over$ the$ exhibition;$ his$ own$ genealogy$connects' the'disparate'geographies'of'Africa'and'America' (through'his'ancestry), + the+ gallery+ (near+ where+ he+ lived+ while+ in+ London)+ and+ the+Chislehurst* caves$ (where$ he$ performed).The$ Cullinan$ Mines$ are$ the$biggest' diamond' mines' in' the' world, ' and' is' the' site' of' some' of' the'largest(diamond(excavations(ever. (The(most(famous,(the(‘Star(of(Africa,’ (was$ found$ in$ 1905$ and$was$ ‘gifted’$ to$ the$ Royal$ Family. $ It $ is$ now" part"of#the#Crown#Jewels. #The#Chislehurst#Caves#are#in#fact#disused#flint#and#chalk&mines& that& have& alternately& been& used& as& an& air& raid& shelter& and&music& venue,& but& which& have& more& recently& become& a& tourist&destination. !!

!Ângela'Ferriera, 'Stone'Free:'Exhibition'view.'2012 !

Courtesy)of)Marlborough)Contemporary !!There% is% a% disjuncture% between% the% extensive% research% undertaken% by%the$ artist$ and$ the$ almost$ reticent$ formal$ resolution& of& the& exhibition.&Ferriera& has& interrogated& utopian& architecture& through& post"colonial'narratives)throughout)a)twenty"year%career, %and%one%had%the%sense%that%a" background" in" the" artist’s" previous" work" helped" to" unpick" some" of"

 

the$ thematics$ of$ “Free$ Stone”. ( The( exhibition( includes( large(photographs)of) the) two)sites, )a) series)of)drawings) that)overlay) the) two)topologies) and) strata, ) wall ) mounted) sculptures, ) and) a) series) of)drawings) and) models) that) feature) a) proposal) to) turn) a) mine) into) a)cinema. !! !The$ dialectical' positioning' of' the' two' mines' frames' Ferriera’s'question,* posed* in* the* press* release,* “how* to* represent* a* hole* in*material( terms?”. ( The( lattice" l ike% sculptures% offer% the% most% literal%formal' response' in' their' attempt' to' materialise' the' volume' of' the"excavated( earth.( Are( we( being( asked( to( see( the( mines( as( material , (symbol' or'metaphor?' Perhaps' the' allusions' to' Robert' Smithson' – !who$proposed' to' turn' a' cave' into' an' underground' cinema' in' 1971' – ! offers&more%clues. %Smithson’s%writing%often%anthropomorphises" the"earth"and"reveals' an' interest' in' ecological' memory' that' invests' the' American'landscape)with)a)psychology. ! !For$him,$ thoughts$had$the$“wilderness$of$elsewheres”(and(memories(were(like(“sunken(remains”. !!

!Ângela'Ferriera, 'Stone'Free:'Research'Composite'1 !

Courtesy)of)Marlborough)Contemporary !!The$mine,$of$course,$ is$a$man"made%hole% in% the%earth% that% is%created%by%the$desire$ for$ the$materials$ it $ contains. $ If $we$want$ to$ see$ a$mine$ as$ an$“inverted) monument”) it ) is) one) that) marks) our) shifting) economies) of)

 

value.'The'productivity'of' the'Cullinan'Diamond'Mine' is' comparable' to'the$ Chislehurst* cave’s* inactivity* except* as* a* site* of* experience.*Chislehurst’s+ use+ as+ a+ music+ venue+ in+ the+ Sixties+ can+ be+ seen+ to+ mark+this% same% shift% of% industrial% production% to% post"Fordist( operation.( We(can$ approach$ the$ complex$ economy$of$ the$Cullinan$Diamond$Mine$ as$ a$symptom' of' South' Africa’s' reliance' on' mineral' excavation' and'manufacturing. !! !Land%Art%could%be%seen%as%the%last%great%art%movement%of% industrialism.%Smithson’s*practiceconnects* this* shift* from*manufacturing* to* a* service*economy'through'his'acute%understanding%of%how%his%own%work%existed%as# site, # documentation# and# circulation.# Smithson’s# work# bridges# the#gap$ between$ the$ topologies$ of$ the$ mine$ and$ the$ symbolic$ space$ of$circulation* and* consumption* of* experience.* Diamonds,* l ike* art* and*music, ' are ! produced( within( this( framework( that( separates( the(geographies*of*production*from*that*of*consumption. !!

!Ângela'Ferriera, 'Stone'Free:'drawings'1"5,#2012 !

Courtesy)of)Marlborough)Contemporary !!Stepping( back( a( little( from( the( economic( theme,( we( might( read( the(‘hole’ ' that' Ferriera' attempts' to' materialise' as' a' form' of' cultural' or'national' memory.' Hendrix’s' genealogy' (he' was' of' ancestry' that'included( African"American,& Irish& and& Cherokee)& seems& particularly&significant . * The* earth,* as* we* see* from* Smithson’s* language,* is*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“displaced”+ and+ Hendrix+ can+ be+ seen+ as+ a+ cypher+ for+ this+ complex+matrix'of'shifting'influences'and'economies. !! !Hendrix( stands( as( one( of( the( prime( examples( of( an( early( death(ratifying) the) cultural) ideals) he) embodied.) His) music) represents) a)moment& of& liberty& that& has& subsequently& become& enshrined.& The&Hendrix( metaphor( may( not( stand( for( obscene( wealth( but( it ( can(certainly* represent* eternal* youth* and* a* sense$ of$ cultural$ immortality$that$we$ find$ seductive. $The$ grand$ irony$of$ course$ is$ that$ this$ ideal$ has$made%other%people%obscenely%wealthy. !! !Unlike' diamonds,' culture' is' potentially' limitless' – ! the$ energy$ that$Hendrix( represented( can( be( endlessly(mined.( An( early& death& creates& a&hole% that% can% be% fil led% with% our% own% fictional% narratives. % Poor% Jimi% is%petrified(within( our( collective(memory,( endlessly( playing( “Hey( Joe”( on(a" loop." Like" displaced" sediment , " our" memories" are" like" Smithson’s"“sunken'remains”, 'at'once ! in#sight#and#out#of#reach. !