Generally to describe an exhibition or art work as “interesting” is to damn it with faint praise. It is almost the default adjective to use when commentators can think of no other BUT the work from the Scottish artist Calvin Laing now on show at Aristo’s bar – Barga’s unofficial cultural centre in Barga Vecchia, really is extremely interesting and well worth a trip in the city to view.
The problem is, the work is almost invisible – it is difficult to actually see it but that is exactly how it was conceived and executed. It blends so well into the wall at Aristo’s that many people would not actually notice it and there is the one of the more important reasons behind its creation – it is meant to blend in and become part of the background. It is not created in a vacuum but is a reaction to work that is already in existence. Something added, something that changes the original work for ever.
Calvin noticed two photograph that have been on the wall of the bar since 1991 by L.Rossi showing the fountain in Parco Kennedy covered in ice and forming a figure that could be seen as a Madonna or maybe even Queen Victoria. He has now added a third photograph – same dimension, same print look, same image, more or less but with an added extra .. another dimension to the image. Apart from the disturbing effect on time, as it is difficult to work out just when the image was made, it also makes one start to doubt and look around at all the other objects in the bar – which are real and which have been added … interesting stuff.
Some words from Calvin Laing himself: – “Firstly what’s important is the title, C.Laing 2011 & L.Rossi 1991,
This is a photograph of a photograph of the fountain in Barga, in 1991 and also the fountain in Barga in 2011. Using the reflection of the glass to take a self portrait, in the same perspective and position that L.Rossi would of taken the original photograph of the frozen fountain. Then mimicking the presentation of the original photograph that Rossi framed, and displaying it beside the originals,
Fundamentally in my work I use myself as a material. I like to think of it like this:
‘Matter & Subject’
Matter being myself, a readymade, and the subject being the place the thing that the ‘matter’ interacts with, making the work site specific. So this piece continues that development of this concept. Also, this helps explain the titles of the work for example ‘Calvin & Metro’
This photograph has a per formative element to it, usually I make videos so this is quite a different approach,
The reason is, I found this photograph really fascinating, at first I wasn’t sure exactly what was going on, its quite bizarre. I’m quite interested in appropriation and ownership of work, so I was experimenting with this idea. Using his image and re developing and updating the photograph.
Yes it is quite important that its not absolutely obvious, I wanted to retain that quality of the strangeness of the original. The fact that its in a cafe and not a gallery, its more relaxed and can function in a different way. So its quite spontaneous, you have a choice to look and it and think about what’s going on or simply pass it by or not notice it.”