Exhibition/event has ended.
John Gerrard “Sow Farm”
Rat Hole Gallery
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Artists
John Gerrard
John Gerrard (Irish, b. 1974) is known for his works that are constructions of virtual worlds using real-time 3D computer graphics, a technology originally developed for military use and now used in the videogame industry. Using extensive photographic documentation and topographical satellite data of site visits, he creates portraits of physical locations, often geographically isolated industrial structures, from a complex set of several thousand photographs which are used as textures for a reconstructed, hand-built, virtual 3D model that incorporates the passing of time and other environmental elements.
For his installation at Rat Hole Gallery, the artist will present two works. Sow Farm (near Libbey, Oklahoma) 2009, shown as a large-screen projection, depicts an existing agricultural complex in the American midwest housing a large but unseen community of sows engaged in mass farrowing. An orbital camera presents a 360-degree view of the landscape across the duration of a 24-hour day and 365-day year cycle. Sunspot Drawing (Guantanamo City) 2012, presented on a smaller-scale display object, is a simulation of the artist’s hand holding a magnifying glass from dawn until dusk against a road reproduced from Guantánamo, Cuba. The viewer is invited to follow the projected spot created from the virtual sun’s rays, which changes form according to the time of day and the year, with the work unfolding across a 365-day period.
While at a first glance having a resemblance to film or video-based art, Gerrard’s works are a unique engagement with moving images and function as “photographic sculptures,” breaching divisions between and extending the boundaries of photography, painting, sculpture, and cinema. Characterized by an eerily compelling hyperrealism and references to the sublime, Gerrard’s works often address themes of power and energy relationships, economies, politics, and warfare, and are concerned with a hidden part of the global production network that make the luxuries of contemporary society possible.
For his installation at Rat Hole Gallery, the artist will present two works. Sow Farm (near Libbey, Oklahoma) 2009, shown as a large-screen projection, depicts an existing agricultural complex in the American midwest housing a large but unseen community of sows engaged in mass farrowing. An orbital camera presents a 360-degree view of the landscape across the duration of a 24-hour day and 365-day year cycle. Sunspot Drawing (Guantanamo City) 2012, presented on a smaller-scale display object, is a simulation of the artist’s hand holding a magnifying glass from dawn until dusk against a road reproduced from Guantánamo, Cuba. The viewer is invited to follow the projected spot created from the virtual sun’s rays, which changes form according to the time of day and the year, with the work unfolding across a 365-day period.
While at a first glance having a resemblance to film or video-based art, Gerrard’s works are a unique engagement with moving images and function as “photographic sculptures,” breaching divisions between and extending the boundaries of photography, painting, sculpture, and cinema. Characterized by an eerily compelling hyperrealism and references to the sublime, Gerrard’s works often address themes of power and energy relationships, economies, politics, and warfare, and are concerned with a hidden part of the global production network that make the luxuries of contemporary society possible.
Schedule | Nov 14 (Fri) 2014-Feb 28 (Sat) 2015 Opening Hours Information
Opening Reception Nov 14 (Fri) 2014 18:00 - 20:00 | ||||||
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| Fee | Free | ||||||
| Website | http://www.ratholegallery.com/exhibitions/2014/04Gerrard/intro-en.htm | ||||||
| Venue | Rat Hole Gallery | ||||||
| Location | B1F, 5-5-3 Minamiaoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062 | ||||||
| Access | 5 minute walk from exit A5 at Omotesando Station on the Ginza, Hanzomon and Chiyoda lines. | ||||||
| Phone | 03-6419-3581 | ||||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
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