- Venue
- South Hill Park
- Location
- South East England
Currently exhibiting at South Hill Park is Michael Takeo Magruder’s show entitled ‘Addressable Memory’.
Taking a moment to reflect upon the title, the term memory is something which we can all relate to and that we all possess, be it personal memories such as childhood or memories of our relationships, or memories of a collective nature held by society or worldwide. The term ‘addressable’ however, somewhat limits the array of possibilities that ‘memory’ provokes; ones that have somehow been captured. In his exhibition, Takeo is exploring the notions of how memory is captured in this technological era, more specifically, using the mobile phone and global media networks.
A dominant depiction throughout the exhibition is the pixilated image of a merry-go-round. A series of these images, entitled ‘Sequence (Roundabout)’, are displayed on canvas, each depicting the roundabout at different stages in its rotation. The manipulation of the original colour into a scheme of blues, greys and purples and the blur of the pixilation creates an enchanting narrative, distinctly dreamlike in character from a distance.
On closer inspection however, these characteristics transform into quite the opposite. The grid format and mathematical structure becomes much more apparent and true to the nature of technological influence.
‘Communion’ is the second major series featured in the exhibition. The series of ‘semi-abstract’ artworks are visually made up of BBC online ‘front-pages’ collected on one day and digitally processed. Emphasising the global nature of the mass media, the different language editions of the BBC website have been used, resulting in the aesthetics of an abstract image containing partially discernable language. Bearing resemblance to the traditional stained glass window, Communion places the iconic, ritualistic and almost dependant nature of the mass media on an equivalent level to religion.
Curated by Dr Outi Remes, the exhibition combines an approachable subject matter which can all relate to, with a range of interesting concepts. The result, aesthetically vibrant and ‘likeable’ work introducing the possibilities of technology, can be viewed at South Hill Park, Bracknell, until 8th November 2009.
