Mike Parr
artists, exhibitions, tasmania :: posted on November 22nd, 2008
Last night was a bit unusual. Mike Parr was performing another time focused event that highlights his ability to endure circumstances that would leave most people cold in a few minutes. His steady and patient demeanour emanated from the section of flooring, built into the corner of the historic Bond Store in the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in Hobart, with only his head visible. The expansive surface of the flooring accentuated the scale of his head, appearing very small with a spotlight shining down to highlight his calm and somewhat disconnected expression. Eyes closed, then opened to just a slight slit to entertain the performer watching the watchers, then closed again with a collection of thoughts and images to keep himself busy again.
The Bond Store has several floors and has recently been opened to the public. It was the original loading bay for the ships unloading the goods from abroad or from the mainland in the colonial days of Tasmania. The lower floor, below the current ground level, had a video performance, House of Cards, beaming through the dank darkness of cobweb shrouded beams onto a screen at the end of the room. The atmosphere added to the installation in total contrast to the white cleanliness of the video, which features Parr constructing a house of cards out of his many self portraits. The frustration of time passing as he constructed the form with the added difficulty of missing a left lower arm spilled out and infected the watchers, most leaving after a couple of minutes, but perseverance was rewarded with a similar sense achievement as Parr himself expressed with a sigh and grin at the end of the performance.
The ground floor also featured video performance, but the second floor was truly inspiration with a field of bronze heads on plinths that you could move freely around. Spread through the room they create quite a powerful installation. Then on up to the third floor where Parr was being filmed in a feat of endurance.
Of course I couldn’t take photos, so just the outside of the building cast in a dull light from the late evening air and gentle rain will have to do! Mike Parr is sitting up on the top floor right at this moment of the photo being taken.. some imagination will have to fill in the rest until the catalogue is released following the show which will include some documentation of the event. There is also a selection of work at a second venue, Detached Artspace, which I haven’t made it to yet – so more to come! I’m told there are some of his prints there..
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Hi Lindon,how are you? mmm yeah wow Mike Parr in little old Hobart…last seen here in 1985?…kinda makes wonder if Anna Shwartz has come down from Melbourne on a… fishing expidition maybe – to try and reel in a big “Walchfish” (known to inhabit..and have been spotted in local waters) Parrfish would be great bait me thinks, the ultimate Trojanhorsefish!!! or prob maybe not god himself even might know – let alone someone off the show…such as me…. mmmm back to the shock therapy for me…once again thankyou for entertaining my delusions on your always charming blog!! chao Andrew
November 24th, 2008 at 2:36 am
haha andrew – did you go to the exhibition? i still haven’t made it to detached but that is on the agenda for today. the sunday mercury had a good photo if you didn’t get to the performance, although i hear that there is a replacement parr installed now so you can see what he was up to anyway. did you see the detached website? looks like a really interesting gallery project – maybe we will see some more of the fishing adventures in little hobart?
November 24th, 2008 at 2:41 am
ps – Steven has a great post up about parr if you haven’t come across it yet… http://stevenclark.com.au/2008/11/23/mike-parrs-the-tilted-stage/
November 24th, 2008 at 2:44 am
I think the Detached Gallery aim is to bring in international artists, which IMO is a good thing. One of the problems in Tasmanian culture has always been the slap on the back parochialism that means everyone gets a smile and a well done… which isn’t a healthy environment, looking inward constantly. So, applied to the Tasmanian Art community it’s healthy to have exposure to ideas other than the conformist inner circle.
His talk at Biennale of Sydney 2008 (video online) was quite interesting.
Should art be just about pretty pictures? Or about making people think and attempting to alter the way we look at the world?
Thanks for taking me, Linden
November 24th, 2008 at 9:02 am
No net yet Linden, ..Friday – opening night was invite only which wasn’t me..saw Pinky Beecroft and the White Russians though…but yeah intend to have a look when have the chance..plenty of time and am quite familiar with his work (as no doubt are most people) at any rate. Steven… what should Art be about?? Am with you on that one personally really love something that is confronting…how you look at the world?? Mmmm that is entirely open….if your mind is not closed.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:09 am
Oh sorry Linden yeah have been to check out the Detached website and was quite looking forward to it starting since it’s conception..but the fishing was seperate!
November 25th, 2008 at 7:08 am
In my final year of Performance Studies, I remember a lecturer going on about how fabulous Mike Parr is…amazing that he is in Hobart!! What a thrill.
November 25th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Hello Amy,
Certainly worth listening to the video steven linked to above if you have the time – because his work has political and cultural statements behind it is good to see it in context. Thats not to say that all work needs to be considered for its own merit rather than because someone has a large reputation.
I think that the museum extension is the primary reason that Parr has been enticed to Hobat – it is a huge and very expensive project and Anthony Bond from the Art Gallery of NSW sat through the performance taking hourly notes as a biography which will be published in part with the catalogue – eventually!
Still haven’t made it to detached!!!! and in Melbourne tomorrow!!!! will be good to see you miss amy jane