VZ Gallery is delighted to present L’Acqua Dialoga Coi Sassi, an exhibition of recent work by the Italian artist Irma Irsara, who brings as part of this series, the first installation to occupy the east London gallery.Having grown up among the beautifully chromatic Dolomites, Irsara developed a language of colour from a young age and this dialogue has remained the essence of her work.
‘My way of seeing is determined by past experience and my ideas come from very specific things without which there wouldn’t be any picture. Horizons encouraged my eye to mark points of reference forming a type of cartography. In every direction this line between sky and earth was marked by the contours of mountain peaks and atmospheric conditions determined how sharp or soft this was. Extreme weather, the harsh winter and the glaring beauty of the snow throwing into contrast light, dark and the blue of the sky, have all played an enormous part in my sense of perception. This way of seeing I’ve brought with me to the city where I now live and work.’
Irsara’s use of unadulterated pigment set in a medium as willing to bloat with saturated exuberance as the pure cotton pulp she uses commands a euphoric innocence, stopping short of completeness in her production to allow slight errors and imperfections, which give the work room to breathe and a critical tension. In addition to this, the artist’s playful manipulation of boundaries never sits obediently within the confines of a standard frame and there is always the feeling of entering into a space. Each piece is produced by working flat, looking down, so the limits at the edge become a horizon and everything outside - the walls, the room - becomes the background to the picture, rough contours left in to allow freedom between the work and what lies beyond.
The installation Nel Paese Delle Mille Anime explores intimate spaces in time and evolution. It is a mirror of things seen and experienced through transparency, reflections and light. The work consists of over a hundred images viewed singly and superimposed. The use of water creates a 3D moving image and the slide projectors are housed in specially made boxes that heighten the sound of the machines.
In the video work Città Ideale, the multi-layered life of the city is explored. Hard, man-made shapes and materials are juxtaposed with organic, natural forms. Everyday activities become blurs of light and sound. The film is deliberately low resolution and combines still imagery with digital and converted VHS footage, edited using Premier Pro. This piece was filmed around London over time and attempts to portray the commonplace in a different, more poetic way.
JANE CARROLL
