Karla Black

Karla Black

Ed Annette hans et al, Jrp/Ringier 2010

e.g.s of titles: Don’t Attach, Delay; Pleaser; Made to Wait; Unpreventable Within; An Orbit without origin is a trace; Mistakes Made Away From Home

Sculptural installations – mainly chalk dust, paper, transparent materials

Pastel colours

Writing ‘It’s Proof That Counts’ on relationship of unconscious and conscious in art: ‘Can’t we first be unconsciously creative, and then invite our conscious minds in at a later date? Art that originates from an individual self does not have to be self-indulgent.’ (Response to post-modernism)  Importance of bodily knowing.  Art as a trace of one’s existence, proof of it.

In interview with Heike Munder

Connection to landscape v important, that’s where she’s most herself, connecting with the physical elements in it. Sculptures may record her encounter with eg a cloud or river. Often works on ground/ floor, like child playing.

Wants work to be attractive but at same time for materials to stay raw and unformed. ‘a seriously obsessive attempt at beauty’

Importance of gesture, that’s the expression of the unconscious.

Not deliberately making feminine work. But it is feminist – in a physical, material way as opposed to verbal, optical.  Prioritises material over language as a way of learning.

Works are ‘very preciously and obsessively formed’.  But made from ‘mess, waste materials. ‘only just objects’.  Allows unconscious desires to lead the way rather than known techniques.

Rooted in Kleinian psychoanalysis.

Pits herself as an individual against the space, circumstances or difficulty.  But is recognizing it’s ok to accept help with the physical labour involved.  This leaves energy to resolve the piece.

‘I believe in art itself as transformative, as aspirational, as a philosophical, healing, improving thing, but definitely not in the artist as elevated in any way.’

Briony Fer in Karla Black Venice 2011 (Venice + Scotland, 2011)

Ways of hanging: from a grid of threads or rods running across the room; secured both to ceiling and window handle; hooks in ceiling; allows sugar paper hangings to curl

Look at: Subtraction Isn’t Wrong; Division Isn’t (groups of hung torn shapes); Urgent At The Time; Named And Gated

Echoing natural and architectural forms around the site

Using material gestures to fill space.  A pictorial language of pure gesture.  Many strenuous actions may have gone into a piece, but it looks effortless, apparitional

Coating transparent materials to occlude.  Changing effects of light through the day – evening lighting makes it appear more substantial.

You can’t just look at it, you have to move around, between it – and it moves

The creation of a pictorial world – without referencing anything.

Lyrical, both utopian and materialist.