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From: Arn
Category: Art
Date: 19 November 2005
Galleries are like mushrooms that pop up in little clusters almost over night it seems. Apparently Vine space likes to exhibit artists who spend more time in their studios rather than networking at private views, or so I over heard as looking at the work of Sean Branagan and Paul Helliwell. On the left of the first room are Branagan’s complex video projections bouncing off different plains which are cut in to geometric shapes, they often make an overall picture that almost looks like a flag. In fact they are quite good to look at, colourful and calm (fish swimming- I think Bill Viola Boring thoughts), and technically interesting. All this technicality is clever but makes the work look too forced and more like a piece of clever craft than something great. Perhaps I want it to be more messy, or at least some thing so that I am not just admiring it for being clever, because the different images merging and emerging are pretty. The structures that hold the projections don’t have the fluidity of the images. Yes you can tell that he is in his studio a lot but is it time well spent? Opposite are Paul Helliwell’s large colourful paintings, one reminding me of the windows logo. Have a look http://www.vinespace.net/artists/Helliwell_p/pages/paul3.htm
The show at least has some visual coherence, unlike most group shows.
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