Nau mai, haere mai, welcome to EyeContact. You are invited to respond to reviews and contribute to discussion by registering to participate.

JH

Hobbs at AUT

AA
View Discussion
Rebecca Ann Hobbs, Photoshoot, 2005, lightjet print, 100 x 100mm Rebecca Ann Hobbs, Waiting, 2007, inkjet print, 50 x 50 mm Rebecca Ann Hobbs, Complex Social Groups, 2001, inkjet print, 50 x 50 mm Rebecca Ann Hobbs, Tethered Horse, 2004, inkjet print, 50 x 50 mm

'Tumbleweeds' shows a deserted roadway just outside a windswept frontier town - an archetypal film scene from a western - but instead of hidden Hollywood wind machines blowing tumbleweeds across the road, extras positioned at different distances from the camera take turns to nonchalantly roll their clothed bodies across the expanse of red dirt and stop inert by the stubbly vegetation on the other side. Very amusing, but also serious, because the rolling bodies could be corpses accumulating from gunfights.

Auckland

 

Rebecca Ann Hobbs
Failing, Falling, Flying

 

July 1 - July 31, 2010

The seventeen coloured photographs and two DVDs that Rebecca Ann Hobbs is presenting in St Paul Street’s two galleries mostly take on the notion of human movement (or lack of, obstructing) as their central trope. While most feature deliberately ordinary vistas of New Zealand (and occasionally American) landscape, they usually refer in some way to simple bodily actions of the intransitive verb type explored by Serra and Nauman in the sixties - often jokingly.

With titles like Bbbounce, Slip ‘n Slide, Go, Waiting, Spin, Jump, and Ah-round you’d think some energetic human activity would be the main focus but not so. It is more second fiddle to the unspectacular humble landforms, grimy buildings and slightly scruffy botany: making humorous asides that are there to be noted, but not dominant. Such actions don’t dominate the image. They are low key and barely detectable - like the artist waving in the distance; or hardly connected, such as a tyre (as human surrogate) bouncing down a hillside walking track.

The best works are the videos. Tumbleweeds shows a deserted roadway just outside a windswept frontier town - an archetypal film scene from a western - but instead of hidden Hollywood wind machines blowing tumbleweeds across the road, extras positioned at different distances from the camera take turns to nonchalantly roll their clothed bodies across the expanse of red dirt and stop inert by the stubbly vegetation on the other side. It is an extraordinary video; a simple idea that packs a lot of punch. Very amusing, but also serious, because the rolling bodies could be corpses accumulating from gunfights.

In a darkened Gallery Two we see the other DVD, Ah-round, showing the camera person slowly encircling a gardener in a greenhouse watering its luxuriant plants with a hose. He is also absentmindedly listening to music on his headphones. As the camera approaches the moving sprayer we expect to see the lens showered with water but at the last minute the squirting hose is averted.

In the same dark space Hobbs has placed under a spotlight an image also seen in the other room: Drunk Power Poles, a photo of a line of cement power poles on the side of a dry parched hill. They are crookedly lined up. Being at peculiar angles they look intoxicated.

By pairing it with the hot-house video Hobbs seems to be making two jokes: one about water deprivation and thirst, the other perhaps about alcohol, music and the pleasures of relaxation. Somewhat oblique admittedly.

Hobbs has also made other photographs that are more openly comical and similar to the videos, but she has obviously intended here not to over emphasise that aspect of her practice - though humour seems to be always present. I think her moving image works have more viewer impact, though with that content she may worry about approaching the areas explored by William Wegman and in New Zealand, Steve Carr. It will be interesting to see where she goes from here.

John Hurrell

 

Print | Facebook | Twitter | Email

 

Recent Posts by John Hurrell

JH
Jae Hoon Lee, Mother and Child, 2024, inkjet on smooth pearl. 1500 x 1500 mm

Looking Through (or At) Jae Hoon Lee

IVAN ANTHONY GALLERY

Auckland

 

Jae Hoon Lee
Internal Landscape Part II


16 March 2024 -13 April 2024

JH
Outside installation of part of Shiraz Sadikeen's The Natural Rate, at Treadler. Photo: Alex North.

Sadikeen @ Treadler

TREADLER

Auckland


Shiraz Sadikeen
The Natural Rate


8 March 2024 - 23 March 2024

 

JH
Still from Marcus Coates, The Directors: Lucy (2022) Single channel HD video on loop, projection, 21 min, 24 sec--⁠presented at Yellow Brick Road, courtesy of Artangel.

Attempting to Describe the Experience of Psychosis

Te Tuhi /Auckland Arts Festival

5 inner city sites


Marcus Coates
The Directors


24 February - 24 March 2024

JH
Ava Seymour, Manhole, 2023, Maribu solvent screen-printing ink on aluminium, 1120 x 910 mm, unique.

Maternal Appurtenances

COASTAL SIGNS

Auckland

 

Ava Seymour
Heels of Mothers


14 March - 13 April 2024