- Venue
- Surface Gallery
- Location
- East Midlands
‘THE COMING COMMUNITY’ SERIES @ Surface Gallery
[Process and Produce: Promotion]
The Coming Community exhibition series kick started with Process and Produce: Promotion, a collaborative partnership between artists Hannah Cresswell and Paige Ockendon. Through a culmination of performance, video and sculpture, the duo explore issues around consumerism and consumption. Often satirical in nature, Cresswell and Ockendon seek to inhabit a curious stance between humour and cynicism.
On opening, a series of performances centred round a production line, seemingly depict the repetitive and monotonous act of labour; making sandwiches, pouring energy drinks, and unfolding socks to inexplicable means. Whilst a whimsical, upbeat soundtrack plays rather indifferently to the lethargic, blank faces of their operators, the production line continues without fault as if a well oiled machine. Underneath the obvious exterior of boredom, something somewhat sinister seems to underlie the sterile exterior. Autonomous, robotic movements in the performers seem to hint at our inability to defend ourselves as victims to consumer culture. There is an air of derision throughout, which is complimented by the artists’ ‘tongue-in-cheek’ approach.
Peppy music continues all the while, as if to remind us of the garish nature of advertising and the blatancy of its directness. As the performances progress, the performers become increasingly dishevelled; tarnished by the process of production which has taken its toll. In a similar way, the conveyor belt carries the residue of each performance as it continues to rotate to no end. There seems to be a determination in repetition, and yet every step seems exasperating, easily verging on an aimlessness. At times, the smeared lipstick, rubbery cheese sandwiches and faux sweat seems to take a repulsive edge, causing the viewer to cringe just short of comfort. Despite consumerism’s deceivingly clean, sanitary and glorified image, there is a significant suggestion of something spoiled, corrupt and tainted (much like the spilled sticky beverage and smudged fake tan) – that leaves a bitter aftertaste. By emphasising the common characteristics of consumerism to a point of absurdity, we are reminded how conditioned and dismissive we have become to their power and control.
Process and Produce: Promotion comes alive during its moments of live activity, seemingly mundane stands and plinths provide a stage, as the objects resulted from the respective performances become sculptural mementos for display. Both Cresswell and Ockendon do not shy away from operating in character, being fully committed to the commercial parallel in which they have fabricated. This commitment extends to every degree of appropriating the gallery space, from the handouts –‘offer available for a limited time only’- to the blue and yellow colour theme running throughout – everything has been made with deliberate consideration, as if a form of subliminal messaging itself. What this exhibition offers is just the beginning of what is potentially a much larger allegory.
The next show is Revolve by Wain Marriott and Becky Scofield.
