So the launch of The SketchUp Residency went well! We’re still attempting to iron out some issues with the model but the site is up and running! We’re also in the process of writing a press release that goes with the work on display. We’ve also sent off our answers to our interview that will be published in Art Reveal’s next issue so will post a link to it when it’s out.
Another episode of Artists and Friends has been recorded and will be up by the end of the evening so head over to that area of the world wide web to hear our thoughts on the Carroll Fletcher show ‘Looking at one thing and thinking of something else: An Exhibition in Four Parts, Part 2: Observations’ and the Evan Roth talk that went with it. We also recommend going to see Martin Creed’s ‘Work 409’ in the lift at the South Bank Centre and deliberate over some of the works in the pop up show by Hayward Gallery titled ‘The Infinite Mix’.
Some new research we’re embarking onto is that of fictional artists. This is a slightly different idea to that of William Cost or Millicent Place since we have not invented these artists; Gilda Dent is a good example of this. For those of you who don’t know, Gilda Dent, occasionally referred to as Grace instead of Gilda, is a fictional character that has appeared in Batman comic books. Associated with her fiancé (later husband) Harvey Dent, who becomes the criminal mastermind Two-Face, she has since been a recurring character throughout various Batman stories involving Two-Face. In her first appearance, Gilda is the fiancée of Harvey Dent the brilliant and handsome district attorney of Gotham City. Gangster Boss Maroni throws acid in Harvey's face during Maroni's trial, scarring half of his face and consequently warping his mind. (Now this is where our interest beyond that of the narrative lies); because Gilda is a sculptor, Harvey believes that she worships beauty; therefore (in Dent's mind), neither she – nor anyone else – could ever love or accept a person with such a monstrously ‘hideous’ face as his. Gilda creates a bust of Harvey, which he smashes with a mallet to symbolise his new, ruined self. Even as Two-Face begins a dual career of crime and Robin Hood-style philanthropy, however, he still longs passionately for Gilda, and she for him. So here we have what appears to be a somewhat mild character, with respect to others that surround her, yet she has a huge effect on the entire storyline. This has conceptual ties to other works we’ve produced that explore how art and artists are represented through popular culture. Bob Kane and Bill Finger (the creator of Batman) have decided that art is something which is aesthetically pleasing and conforms to traditional notions of beauty. This is not so bizarre since quite a large percentage of people definitely think this way. However, Kane and Finger have created this character which fulfils the stereotype, which I think we can all agree is a step up from just thinking something in ones head. This is a particularly interesting example due to her significance to the story – Gilda being this symbol of Harvey’s insanity due to her affiliation with the art world; it’s because she’s an artist that he doesn’t think she’ll love him despite his deformed face, maybe if she’d been a musician it wouldn’t have been so bad. We’re not sure how this will pan out into a work (or works) but it’s just some research we’ve been mulling over...
