‘Gentle War”, on display at 100 Tonson Gallery, is not only an appropriate name but also provokes the viewers’ interpretation. Curated by Brian Curtin, the exhibition puts two different artists together. While Belgian artist Peggy Wauters works with a variety of media centred on historical myths and carnival culture, Israeli artist Nir Segal focuses mainly on textiles and abstract ideas.
Wauters’ ‘man and mushroom’ sculpture.
The combination could have been an odd mix, but with the headline of “Gentle War” in our minds, a dialogue is being built within the context of contemporary art.
“At first sight they are very different,” said Wauters. “But actually there are a lot of similarities in ways that are not exactly obvious. When people come to watch the show they really have to think. Everything is not served on a plate to make it interesting.”
Wauters comes from Aalst, a city in Belgium famous for carnivals, and elements and characters from the parades have always been a great influence on her works whether they are sculptures, collages or installations. Test Tube Fungus is a good example of this. She made what looks like small mushrooms from porcelain and put them in small test tubes. This signifies the sense of a new beginning, which is what a carnival is all about, to chase the winter away and celebrate spring.
In another sculptural piece, a man sits and holds one hand up high. He’s enveloped by what appears to be a sea of mushrooms made of textiles springing up profusely.
“He’s part of the nature,” Wauters. “We all are. It doesn’t matter much what material I choose, but this one is best with textiles. When you see from the top, you can see nature like a mushroom sprouting, little rounds or bubbles from the sea. It’s nature and the mushrooms popping up like flowers.
Segal’s textile on wood structures.
From sculpture mixed with textile, Wauters also painted and made collages in other pieces. And the precision with which she painted and arranged her collage makes it difficult to define what type of artist she is.
Her collection of paintings on miniature canvases and wood draws inspiration from old photographs that she collects. There’s a sense of mystery in them because Wauters didn’t know the people, the scenes and the stories in the photographs. Her reproduction added yet another layer into them as she has incorporated her own elements into the works.
While Wauters’ works is about history and tradition made new through the eyes of the artist, Segal explores the effect of objects otherwise overlooked in the context of a contemporary art gallery.
“He [Segal] has taken a lot of cheap, vulgar material that we overlook and don’t care about,” said curator Curtin. “But that can be given a certain meaning when remade in some way. They are completely different types of artists. When we use the terms contemporary art there’s a lot of debate of what it is. And one of the ideas is how contemporary art can accommodate a wide range of different works. It’s not about a period of history, it’s not about now, not the type or style of work. Contemporary art is putting artists in certain dialogue with each other.”
Segal’s works consist mostly of fabric of various patterns put on various types of wood structures as if they were treated as paintings. While some are fabric that he has found and bought, he also uses those that he designed and made himself.
“When you search for textiles and you examine them you search for certain pleasure, but you don’t necessarily ask the context of the image used on the surface and I like that platform of textile.
“It’s a frustration that whatever I paint turns into some sort of background,” said Segal. “Then I made a choice to start looking for textiles to be the background, and I started stretching them. Once they were stretched I kind of felt that I don’t need to do anything with them anymore because there’s something about the aesthetic that’s exactly what I’m doing with my painting and I like it.”
"Gentle War" is on display until Aug 10 at 100 Tonson Gallery, Soi Tonson, Phloenchit Road.
‘Gentle War’.
