Empty Ground

Empty Ground by Sindy Püssa
5 10x10 inch photographic prints on wooden frames
exhibited in London South Bank University
05.06.09-07.06.09


The project Empty Ground explores the notions of absence and emptiness in a playground that is deserted, perhaps even hauntingly barren. By being photographed at night it raises issues surrounding the absence of function and lack of purpose.

This project is influenced by the state of mind I was in during the last 18 months while battling severe health problems. The illness was caught early, so it was not life threatening. But I was told I had lost the ability to fulfil my biggest dream – to have children. That broke my heart and depressed me deeply. I asked: what do you have when you have lost everything? The credit crisis has resulted in many people realising that they were too busy and successful to have children. The downturn reveals the true value of their investments and the real meaning of their lives. Although, this work is not just dark or sad – it is also about hope and a new beginning. Just like the playground will be filled with children and laughter once the sun rises again.

The work has different readings: a personal testimony, a commentary on the current economic situation or a vision for a dystopian future. It is the time of crisis in both my life and in the economy – the time to rethink our purpose, our dreams and goals. Have we been taking these for granted?

LSBU Degree Show

Tomorrow evening, 5th of July, will be the opening of the Degree Show that features my work as well as other people's from my Digital Photography course and couple of other courses. It is the final show featuring the work created after 3 years of studying.

Private View:
Friday 5 June, 5pm to 9pm
BA (Hons) Digital Photography
BA (Hons) Digital Media Arts
BA (Hons) Music and Sonic Media
BA (Hons) Game Cultures

Exhibition is open to the public:
Saturday 6 June, 1pm to 5pm
Monday 8 June to Thursday 11 June, 10am to 5pm

in Keyworth Centre Mezzanine
Keyworth Street, London South Bank University

Gerhard Richter & London

Last week I went to several exhibitions during the same day that all had strong connections to Gerhard Richter. As I happen to share the opinion of many people that Richter is probably the greatest living painter and admire his work, it was a very pleasant discovery indeed.

In the National Portrait Gallery there is the Gerhard Richter Portraits exhibition on.
It's an absolutely brilliant display of his wonderfully varied work and different styles, yet it is held together as a coherent show by the theme of portraiture. His oeuvre is huge as he has always experimented and tried different approaches to painting. Although that means it's sometimes hard to know what to expect from his work, like the exhibition last winter in the Serpentine Gallery, which I wasn't too keen on. But the portraits are excellent.

What makes his work especially interesting to me is the fact that he works from photographs and newspaper clippings - very appealing to a photographer who works with newspapers. The photographic though blurry quality of the works is very enticing.
I also find his approach to portraiture really refreshing in comparison to what was taught to me at school. He has said: 'A portrait must not express anything of the sitter's 'soul', essence or character'. The reality remains hidden beneath the veneer of appearance.
My favorite painting is still Betty (1988) but it has to be seen in real life to understand it's allure.

Hurry! It's closing on the 31st of May.

In The Photographer's Gallery there's an exhibition on the subject of The Photographic Object, which included painted photographs by Richter among works by well-known photographers and artists like W. Tillmans and A. Warhol and tackles a very interesting and exciting realm. Sadly it is generally quite underwhelming - I was expecting to be intrigued but was left rather bored and confused (especially by the Vanessa Billy piece) in the end.

I then went on to check out the newly reopened Whitechapel Gallery, which was very impressive, a truly wonderful space! There were many exhibitions on in the several galleries spaces there and the main show was of the work of the sculptor Isa Genzken, Richter's second wife, paintings of whom I had seen just a few hours previously at the Portrait Gallery exhibition.
Genzken's work was exhibited over two floors and provided a great overview of the artist's work. I personally am not familiar enough with the genre of sculpture to fully appreciate and understand it, but at least I got a chace to educate myself a little on that.


In conclusion, it's evident that Richter is popping up everywhere! :D

Here's an interesting fact that only Estonian people will understand:
His first wife was Marianne Eufinger (who he called Ema) and his second wife was the sculptor Isa Genzken. How weird a coincidence is that?

Arte Pover at Tate Modern

On Saturday we went to see the Long Weekend events at Tate Modern

In the Turbine Hall people can interact with the 'Bodyspacemotionthings' piece by Robert Morris. Although I consider it a wonderful example of Arte Povera from the seventies as well as a ground-breaking work of art that the audience can physically engage with, it is questionable how many people there this weekend understood its importance or meaning. With hundreds of kids running around it looked more like a giant playground. But that is not essentially a bad thing, of course.



Michelangelo Pistoletto with his wife, performing the piece Newspaper Sphere at Tate Modern:

Synecdoche, New York

Hadn't been to the cinema in a while, there isn't even much on.. but I'm glad I went today. This blew me away. You simply must go to the cinema and experience it yourself.

Synecdoche, New York is a film written and directed by Charlie Kaufman. He has previously written films like Being John Malkovich, but this was the first he both wrote and directed.
It is a hugely ambitious film. It doesn't tell just a story, it is a metaphor of life itself. A commentary on the human condition.

All the wonderfully brilliant and clever references are what make the film. But these are not Tarantino-esque 'nod to movies' kind of things. The film refers to many other traditions and ideas, perhaps most predominantly jungian pshychology. And of course - 'All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players' W.Shakespeare

Last nights openings

I haven't been out and about in London's art scene for a while now, so was trying to make up for it yesterday by seeing as many shows as I could. These two openings were the best part of the day though.

Raqib Shaw's first exhibition in White Cube Hoxton Square called Absence of God was amazing. The paintings are incredibly detailed and even though they are gilletering and sparkling, not 'pretty' but on the contrary, quite disturbing. There is not much point in looking at tiny photos like the one below, these seven paintings need to be seen up close in the flesh.

The sculpture Adam on the second floor was quite shocking, even if you have read about it and go in prepared to see a lobster raping a bird-headed man, still nothing quite prepares you for that. It is his first sculptural installation and he shouldn't stop there. The tension and contradiction between the beautiful and the grotesque is even powerful in life-size sculptural form. Spectacular work, bar not one for my living room.

Raqib Shaw Absence of God IV…The Blind Butterfly Catcher 2008

20 May - 4 July 2009
White Cube Hoxton Square

The opening of the Diane Arbus exhibition in the two Timothy Taylor Gallery's in Mayfair was an altogether different affair. No trendy people sipping beer and basking in the sun like on Hoxton Square here. It was all Chanel bags, Vouitton scarves and Laboutin shoes inside.

But of course Arbus is a name needing no introduction or promotion. The mayor exhibition of sixty photographs is impressive. 15 Carlos Place definitley being the main location of the show and having a more versatile selection of work. Highly recommended!

The Long Weekend

It turns out that when I talked about the new arte povera display a while ago it was so new and the events that surround it are happening this weekend. How delightful. I am so excited about seeing Michelangelo Pistoletto in person and performing an art piece, that I can barely sleep!

Join an amazing four-day Bank Holiday festival of performances, films, and music at Tate Modern.

The theme of this year's UBS Openings: The Long Weekend is 'Do It Yourself' and is inspired by the Arte Povera and Post-minimalist artworks in the the new Energy and Process Collection displays.

All events, films, music and performances are free.

Watch Michelangelo Pistoletto as he performs Newspaper Sphere leaving the Turbine Hall and crossing the Millenium Bridge into the streets of London.