Jen Denzin, Japanese art: Finding beauty in the everyday, Reimagine and G.W.BOT no.27

chandelier

words cannot emotionally describe the art of Jen Denzin, it is artwork that i think is wonderful, thought provoking and powerful (i am a little bit bias as we are great friends, so why would I not applaude all her years of hard work?). “Since here the Way was Broken” had to be experienced and enveloped within ones very own soul. both adults and children alike beam and question the art hanging; as chandeliers, the detail, the sewing, the entwining of many different mediums, the palm trees, from plastic, to op-shop finds, to glittery reusable items, the bright, the neon and the ugly. it must be said it’s from another world, inside her forever shifting imagination, she takes you there and you are transported into a type of intergalactical kind of cyberhighlighted encounter.  she has been making art ever since i have known her from back in the early 1990’s when we both lived in an outback country town for a while. the joy of her creativity oozes from her soul; she relishes in the found object, plastic object, the most shining vibrant object, the floating object, the tinsel object and the christmas-tree light object. and as well as of course the red and gold of pure Chinese and asian influences. the themed opening party of her latest show was baroque style with patrons dressed in their best beehive doos, with flowers in their hair, gowns to the ground, listening and dancing to the ethereal tunes of the fabulous Royal Fox Society, their tunes I must say blew me away (seriously) also transported the listener to a classical electronic orlando (the film) experience. with added karaoke kracks for unformidable style sounds. over the decades I have seen the evolution of Jens’ art, from plastic buckets in shop windows, to wedding ceremonies and now her very own exhibition “Since here the Way was Broken” has references to Dantes’ inferno, the powerful poetic imagination she possesses is required to make such art is paramount to Jens artmaking practice. if you did not experience her art in real time, head over to her Instagram page and take a peek… @jen_denzin_   and whatever you do, don’t miss the next one.

 

for the past two Friday mornings i braved the freezing metro and headed into the Art Gallery of NSW to listen to Dr Toby Slade from University of Sydney in his fashionable suits educate his audience about the fashion, decorative arts, and architecture of Japan. such a fitting subject for my life as i have always wanted to visit Japan. since the age of about 4 when my mother gifted me little twin stars brush and comb set with matching baby pink plastic jewelery box i have imagined finding this place that invented such treasures… the cultural ethos of Japan is that art is everywhere and art of the everyday. the art of folding paper known as origami, the layering of the kimono around a human form, the simplicity and space of a room that converts to bedroom, dining room and study. the culture of politeness and bowing often. many beautiful woodblock prints of female courtesans were discussed in this lecture which gave me pause to research more: https://www.scholten-japanese-art.com/golden_age_ukiyo-e.php this has a lovey musical interlude video of an exhibition that was in New York in 2020. also, the tragic story of Komurasaki with poetry on her kimono, the exploration of the seasonal motifs and decorative symbols and the colour of indigo. after world war two women would spend at least two hours a day on needlework, coming from a needlework family this emboldened my needlework practice and i do wish that each day was 48 hours as i have so many things i want to fit into a day… i also discovered the term ivy style, which opened my eyes to the nature of modern Japanese fashion, as like the world, trying to be like America, Japan does ivy style so well, relaxed elegance, it is swell. the second lecture was on architecture showing how material and nature are combined, humid mountains produce water and wood. the wood is alive and breathing, aged and weathering of wood is most wanted. the shapes of the roofs and temples are so unique, the Japanese architectural ideas are to build structures to enhance nature, be a part of nature to be within it which i think is so much more than just a place to hold and house humans. https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/

 

i also had the opportunity to watch over a very creative exhibition run at Wallarobba Arts and Cultural Centre in Hornsby called Reimagine for the past two saturday afternoons. the exhibition exhibited a vast array of artworks that had reimagined or reused items to create new ones. materials were vast from lindt dryer cloth to make an embroidered landscape, coffee pod capsules collaged, repurposed light display test tubes and silk dyed weed cloth. this exhibition opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of creativity and how we do not just have to make with a paper and pen, it is immeasurable of what can be achieved with a repurposed item that some would throw away. in the future I may incorporate some of this kind of making into my practice and see what eventuates, my mind tumbles with the prospects this could ensue. it was quite social and fun also minding the gallery, i met some interesting artists and had a chance to dissect artworks verbally as well as connect with different folk who are interested in seeing the arts flourish in our neck of the woods. https://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/lifestyle/arts-and-culture/wallarobba

 

 

i also had a little visit to the Australian Galleries, Sydney to view the work of G. W. BOT as when i saw this artist last when i was residing in Queensland. here i was again enamoured by her artworks, the variety and eclectic yet complimentary pieces.  i was enthralled by the fine pencil work of christ recrucified and her homage to Rembrandt artwork with the repetitive gouged lines in lino. new to me were the bronze wall sculpture glyphs, and the calming perfection of the linocut prints on tapa cloth of celestial poet and full moon poet. all of the work was spiritual, poetic and exemplified an artist practice that is flourishing and full of meditative production and skill. i really appreciated her work and was glad to see it in real life. this is the thing as an artist, i do view so much visual images on screens and in print, but how ever much more satisfying it is to see it in reality, fresh, tangible, you could reach out and touch it, (but you don’t, of course) it cannot be compared, like live music, live art lives! https://australiangalleries.com.au/

 

 

 

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emotional excitement, fear, love and a musical interlude no.26