Rodney Graham: That’s Not Me
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Newcastle
17 March – 11 June 2017
Rodney Graham had the luxury of filling two large gallery spaces across two floors of the BALTIC gallery.
The first space consists of a Rodney-fest of large scale self-portrait photographs, each image set in a different fantastical world with the artist himself dressed in an almost unrecognisable disguise. These photographs are all displayed in front of light boxes giving them a vibrancy and captivating draw that simply couldn’t be achieved any other way. The lighting added to their theatricality and seemed appropriate to the content, which in itself was highly staged. Coming from a scenographic background myself I was able to appreciate the skill and attention given to the detailed set and costume, from many pages of mocked up 1949 newspaper to cover a shop window in his photograph ‘The Avid Reader’, to the finery of his 18th century silk suit in the photograph ‘Sumptuous’.
These photographs seem not so much an exercise in self obsession, as a playful exploration into potential parallel universes or a declaration of his many faceted personas. We know this to be true due to his many skills not only as an artist but also as a talented musician. Music plays a large part in this exhibition, from his musical score written and inspired by his pilgrimage to the home of Nirvana’s front man Kurt Cobain which he documents in his video work on display, to a live performance of his latest songs as part of the exhibition programmes of events.
The second large gallery space on the lower floor is less image focused and seems to be instead a celebration of the process of photography and the science behind it. He plays with old camera equipment and projection, the centre piece of the exhibition ‘Torqued Chandelier Release’, consists of a large projected spinning chandelier inspired by Sir Isaac Newton’s bucket experiment. This exhibition had a playfulness and intimacy that gave an insight into Graham’s psyche. I found myself wanting to be drawn into his world of mischief, enthusiasm and curiosity for the world around him and a desire to experiment with light boxes
