xero, kline & coma

xero, kline & coma is an artist run project space at 258 Hackney Road, London. It’s program, curated by Pil and Galia Kollectiv, focuses primarily on solo exhibitions by internationally established as well as emerging artists. Work by recent graduates King Conny Wobble and David Steans is being shown alongside projects like the Museum of American Art – Berlin, previously included in the Venice and Istanbul Biennales, Jeffrey Vallance, whose recent solo exhibition was at the Warhol Museum, and Plastique Fantastique, whose work has been shown at Tate Britain and the Pratt Manhatten Gallery, New York, with the aim of raising the profile of lesser known artists and allowing others to experiment with work that more institutional contexts don’t always permit. Some of the themes this program has explored have included fictional identities, a-chronological art histories and the mediation of ritual in time-based media. A commitment to critically engaged art is also central to the ethos of the space, and future shows include an exploration of unionism in art by Sophie Carapetian. As well as displaying new work, the gallery hosts events, talks and screenings. Most recently these have included meetings of the Political Currency of Art research group, a discussion and film screening dealing with the theme of ‘hostile objects’ led by Evan Calder Williams and Marina Vishmidt, a book launch for New Lines of Alliance, New Spaces of Liberty by Antonio Negri and Felix Guattari and an event dedicated to the theatre work of Slovenian art collective NSK, featuring a screening of unreleased documentation and a discussion about the future of total performance.

The story of Temple Bar: creating Dublin's cultural quarter

The paper conceptualises and explores the links between cities, commerce, urbanism and cultural planning by drawing on Temple Bar in Dublin as an example of how, by linking these concepts to practice in real concrete situations urban life or urban culture can be created and/or revitalised. Temple Bar is Dublin's emerging cultural quarter, an experiment in urban revitalisation which is deliberately focused on culture and urbanism as ways of rediscovering the good city. It has attracted considerable interest from across Europe, and has secured EC funding to kick-start the process of renewal. The author was appointed by the Irish Government to prepare the area management and development strategy for Temple Bar in 1990. Wary of the dangers of property led regeneration, of the destructive impacts of sudden or cataclysmic change, the agencies in Temple Bar have deliberately adopted a strategic management approach to the area. This is referred to as 'urban stewardship', a process of looking after and respecting a place, and helping it to help itself. The paper explores whether there is a 'culture of cities' and whether it is possible to recreate an urban culture. Following Raymond Williams, an anthropological definition of culture is employed, "... a particular way of life, which expresses certain meaning and values not only in art and learning but also in institutional and ordinary behaviour". Rather than being simply an add-on to the serious concerns of economic development and the built environment, culture has both helped shape, and continues to develop in, the streets, spaces and buildings of the city.

No Haus Like Bau

The project consists of a live performance taking the 2005 IKEA riot as the starting point for a speculative history of a fictional future, culminating in a choreographed re-enactment of the original event. It is accompanied by a film series explores the possibility of collective action emerging from the capitalist relations inherent in the consumer riot. The performance, staged at the Berlin Biennale, continues this research into re-enactment and post-1989 politics, using a stage set made of flatpack furniture. Using the aesthetics of Modernism and the avant garde, the project transposes early twentieth century utopian ideology to a present day setting where mass uprisings are motivated by cheap commodities. By re-evaluating biomechanics and Bauhaus theatre theory, these explorations of consumerism and revolution propose that the mechanized movement developed in conjunction with industrial labour survives as a historical re-enactment in the wake of manufacturing work in the west. In the absence of a visual language apt to the contemporary, No Haus Like Bau uses re-enactment as a retrogarde tactic. Its purpose on the one hand is to invoke trajectories for alternate futures that never materialized at an originary moment. On the other hand, the clash of past forms with present content serves to accentuate the historical changes that have thrown into question these forms. Rather than reflecting the present, the projection of the past into a fictional future aims to destabilize the dominant narrative that suggests the current configuration of art, politics and human nature has always been this way. The project has been widely exhibited internationally and supported by Film London and Arts Council England. A theoretical essay on re-enactment as a strategy for performance has been published in Art Papers and in Memory [MIT]. The project also formed the basis of a solo exhibition at Te Tuhi Art Centre, Auckland.

Flexural properties, microleakage, and degree of conversion of a resin polymerized with conventional light and argon laser

Objective: To evaluate the flexural strength, microleakage, and degree of conversion of a microhybrid resin polymerized with argon laser and halogen lamp. Method and Materials: For both flexural test and degree of conversion analysis, 5 bar samples of composite resin were prepared and polymerized according to ISO 4049. The halogen light-curing unit was used with 500 MW/cm(2) for 20 seconds and the argon laser with 250 mW for 10 and 20 seconds. Samples were stored in distilled water in a dark environment at 37 degrees C for 24 hours. The flexural property was quantified by a 3-point loading test. For the microleakage evaluation, 60 bovine incisors were used to prepare standardized Class 5 cavities, which were restored and polished. Specimens were stored in distilled water for 24 hours at 37 degrees C and thermocycled 500 times (6 degrees C to 60 degrees C). Specimens were then immersed in art aqueous solution of basic fuchsin for 24 hours. Longitudinal sections of each restoration were obtained and examined with a stereomicroscope for qualitative evaluation of microleakage. Fourier transform (FT)-Raman RFS 100/S spectrometer (Bruker) was used to analyze the degree of conversion. Results: ANOVA showed no statistically significant differences of flexural strength between the photoactivation types evaluated in the flexural study. Microleakage data were statistically analyzed by Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Enamel margins resulted in a statistically lower degree of leakage than dentin margins. No statistically significant difference was found among the 3 types of photocuring studied. ANOVA also showed no statistically significant difference in the degree of conversion among the studied groups. Conclusion: According to the methodology used in this research, the argon laser is a possible alternative for photocuring, providing the same quality of polymerization as the halogen lamp. None of the photocured units tested in this study completely eliminated microleakage.

Changing community perceptions of 'place'

In May 2002 the Australian Department of Defence announced its intention to divest the Defence land at Portsea on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. At the same time nominations were invited for membership of the Community Reference Group (CRG) established as part of the Portsea Defence Land Master Planning Project. The author actively participated in this voluntary advisory group which provided input on matters of interest to the community relating to the project, provided a medium for information sharing and addressed the sometimes competing needs of different stakeholder groups (such as government, business and residents). A major role of the CRG was to provide a focus for community input on aspects of technical issues, particularly in relation to the planning for the future use of the site, flora and fauna issues, infrastructure provision, traffic and access management, heritage and archaeology, and the integration of the site with both the natural environment and existing community facilities, including the township of Portsea. The author's professional background in art and architectural history, in teaching and in research specifically in heritage related areas; her record of community work both in hands on work and in leadership positions, in Melbourne and on the Nepean Peninsula, enabled her to make a significant and useful contribution to the CRG in contributing to the understanding of the rich, diverse, multilayered cultural and natural heritage of the entire site.

Using this specific example, this paper examines the process of participating in Australian society through engaging communities - engaging women. It examines the invitation to participate, the nomination and selection process, the brief given to the community reference group, the development of the consultative process over the six months of deliberations, and the important role that women played in the project. It looks at what can be learned from the experience: how women in particular led the way in changing perceptions of place within the local community, and consequently in the broader framework of the project. It examines the success of the outcomes both in terms of the specific task of writing the Master Plan for the Portsea Defence site and of the process of community participation: the dynamic inter-relationships in the group; between the group and the consultants; between the group and the Department of Defence and between the group and the Federal Government. It comments reflectively and critically on the effectiveness of the whole process.

Image featuring for retrieval of multimedia documents

The utilization of massive multimedia documents collections, such as multimedia documents in the global Internet, needs search engines which can rank using both text and image evidence. Massive size and (dynamic) nature of collection can make manual indexing prohibitively expensive in such situations. Traditional search engines utilize only text components of multimedia documents. But there are information needs, which require the utilization of image evidence. In this paper, we investigate image-feature for large and heterogeneous collections. Both the nature and complexities of information needs are key elements for an effective retrieval. Retrieval needs that depend on perceptual similarities (as found in art galleries, building architecture) require the utilization of visual cues. In such situations, the retrieval of multimedia document based on image ranking can provide higher effectiveness. Experimental results show that effectiveness of ranking based on image feature can be higher where perceptual similarities are key elements for retrieval than the retrieval effectiveness of algorithms based on text ranking algorithms

Giorgio de Chirico and the idea of enigmatic imagery : the innocence of becoming

My paintings emerge from within a context best explained by reference to Nietzsche's perspectivism. That is an intellectual attitude that deprivileges rationalism and accommodates scepticism or unknowing as an acceptable starting point From this standpoint art/language can be seen as being in a state of becoming rather than as representing a state of being. This thesis aims to demonstrate, not only by a philosophical encounter with Giorgio de Chirico's work: ie. his use of myth, his Nietzschean perspectivism and his enigmatic interpretation of figuration, that the most helpful context and understanding of my work can be realied. De Chirico's art, like Nietzsche's philosophy seeks in its processes to explore the possible unity of Dionysian aesthetic force with the Apollonian. Neither Nietzsche nor de Chirico considered within a post-Socratic world that this unity was realizable. Nevertheless they both share in their respective art forms a need to represent the relentless struggle to enact the disjunction of the two aesthetic forces in a secular world. The artist’s enigmatic imagery is characterized by a consideration of appearance and reality and it is for this reason that the work was selected as a model for investigating the nature of enigma. His use of seemingly straightforward, ordinary images suggests a sense of accessibility, yet at the same time they are irreducible to knowing and my own image-making was greatly expanded by investigating these concerns. I am not arguing that de Chirico was influenced by Nietzsche but instead that Nietzsche's philosophical point of view and his use of poetic language to express these views lay in discovering the qualities and substance of the Dionysian spirit As well as working within a Nietzschean world-view set out in The Birth of Tragedy, de Chirico has also drawn on the Italian unification, specifically the Risorgimento and the lineage of these political and mythical figures were endemic to his art and they interface the with his use of the Apollonian-Dionysian disunity first explored by Nietzsche. The focus of the exegesis will be to present the poetic and philosophical use made of the latter in de Chirico’s art It is anticipated that this philosophical encounter with the aesthetic, social and political world of de Chirico will, not only assist in interpreting his life's work anew, but will also provide a context in which my paintings of enigma might be interpreted.

Exploratory surgery of the female psyche

The thesis explores the visual narrative concerning a journey of empowerment for women. To enable the journey to advance the inquiry is directed into two areas. The first area is female gender, which is argued to be socially constructed and implicit in the marginalisation of women in western society. The second area is ‘feminine authority’, which is gained by developing an understanding and acceptance of the characteristics which have historically been considered as belonging to the feminine. Granting these characteristics agency would recognise their authority and assist in the elevation of the female to a position of equality in western society. Beginning from a feminist position, the research supported the belief that the female is marginalised in western society. It also confirmed the notion that empowerment and authority can be attained by women if they actively pursue the following; • Explore their own psychology beyond the existing socially constructed gender roles. • Develop an understanding of their feminine self by applying Jung's theories on individuation and archetypes. • Expose the underlying patriarchal influence in western epistemology and science by challenging existing deeply held cultural and scientific beliefs and by actively contributing as feminists to the areas of epistemology and science. Archetypal myths of the ‘feminine’ have developed from an androcentric position. They enforce and perpetuate gender imbalance which contributes to the disenfranchisement of women in western society, ‘Individuation’ is a process in which a person explores aspects of themselves to bring forth parts of their unconscious into their conscious mind in an attempt to gain a deeper understanding of themselves. As a consequence the consciousness develops closer links with archetypal memories which assists the exploration. The ‘true feminine’ is the feminine not restricted or defined by the dominant androcentric view. Knowledge of the feminine empowers women to address the marginalisation of the female in western society and assists in the process of gaining female authority. This enquiry also investigated the four stages of female psychological development with regard to patriarchal influences. Of particular importance is the second stage of psychological development where the female identifies with historically perceived inferior characteristics of the female. This is when she rejects her connections with the primacy of female power and her deep connections with nature which were inherited from archaic times. It is at this stage that she absorbs the myths associated with western patriarchal society which effectively disempower her. Western epistemology, with its emphasis on ‘objective’ investigation and empiricism contributes to the support for and promotion of ‘inferior’ female gender. This type of investigation is brought into question when areas of research into primates and human evolutionary theory is shown to develop from an androcentric view. Western knowledge has associations with power and justice and power is commonly associated with dominance. Regard for ‘truth’ and ‘absolute’ can be viewed as key elements in the support for knowledge and its associations with power. Knowledge has historically maintained suppression of individual experience which promotes a universalised account. This suppression of beliefs other than the dominant authority maintains the existing dominant social structure. Foucault's view of the genderised or inscribed body alerts us to areas where dominance, resistance and power play a part in maximising masculine power and control. Gender becomes an instrument of power within the existing patriarchal structure. Gender, knowledge and power are identified as areas obstructing female empowerment. Part 3 of this exegesis examines the imagery which embodies the visual narrative. Particularly, the harlequin image, its historical background and connections with ancient mythology including reference to Jungian psychology. The harlequin image is developed sequentially in the earlier black and white drawings on paper. These drawings contained a female figure which was often placed in juxtaposition with a Venus or goddess image, reference was also made to ‘eve’ and the ‘siren’. These elements provided the framework which enabled the harlequin image to emerge and evolve. The narrative developed with an understanding of the ‘feminine’ aspects of the psyche which resulted in the harlequin acquiring the elevated authority of a goddess. The Harlequin evolved from my need for symbolic representation of the female psyche. It represents contradiction and dualism. It is a composition of opposites, reflects masculine and feminine traits, the dark and light of the conscious and unconscious mind, it houses both comic and sinister elements, is a trickster and menace. The costume, colours and patterns are expressive elements conducive to fragmentation and layering within the composition of the paintings. Jung examined the harlequin in Picasso's paintings. He concluded that as Picasso drew on his inner experiences the harlequin became important as a symbol; it was a pictorial representation from the unconscious psyche. It travelled freely from the conscious to the unconscious and represented the masculine and feminine, chthonian and apollonian. The final painting in the series, a triptych, completes the narrative and stands alone as a salutatory work. It unites the series by combining existing compositional devices and technique while making reference to imagery from previous works, ‘The Three Graces Victorious’, expresses the authority of the feminine. It completes a victorious stage of a journey where the harlequin is empowered by archaic memories and knowledge of the psyche. The feminine is hailed, elevated and venerated. Other elements which assist in expressing the visual narrative are; colour, technique and influence. Colour is explored and its use as an emotive devise in expressionism. Paul Klee's writing on the use of colour and it's symbolic meaning and Julia Kristeva's investigation on colour from a psychoanalytic and semiotic view are also discussed. To indicate influences and connections within my oeuvre, reference is also made to the following: Jasper Johns' for his use of imagery in his ‘Four Seasons’ series with it's reference to a journey of maturation and Louise Bourgeois' work which deals with issues of gender, memories and past journeys. Although ‘The Three Graces Victorious’; the concluding painting for the investigation is celebratory and represents a finality to the thesis, it points to further areas that impede feminine development and need future examination. Reference is made to a continuation of the exploratory journey by plotting the Harlequin/Goddesses future directions. Although the Harlequin/Goddess is empowered with newly acquired authority, her future journey does not need to be bound by mathematics or limited by rationality. She does not require power to dominate or gender structures to subjugate, but requires limitless boundaries and contexts. The Harlequin/Goddess's future journey is not fixed.

Using site as the medium of image-making at Tower Hill

[No Abstract]

Painting that moves : digital realism and the single moving image

Explores space and object relations in a digital 3-D animation production, "Moving-Image". The exegesis examines these relations through an analysis of pictorial realism in painting. The illusion of three dimensional forms in the space of the computer screen is contextualised by investigation of the work's underlying digital conditions.

Sublime : process and mediation

The research challenged traditional notions of the transcendental sublime by identifying the material basis of the experience through the practice of painting. Material interaction within the creative process revealed new insights, illuminated through the sublime experience. The sublime was indicated as a materially-based, generative experience mediating between subject and world.

The female nude

This thesis argues that a sense of personal power, agency and self-worth can be regained through art practice and will cite examples of this process by artists and others who are outside the parameters of hegemony. The author's experience as a female artist is discussed within the context of historical and contemporary art practices that focus mainly on representations of the female nude, and therefore follows the notion that the personal is political.