Bennett’s ‘Recent Work’

Press, 27 July 1989, Page 14

Bennett’s ‘Recent Work’

“Recent Work” by Graham Bennett at the McDougall Art Annex until August 13. Reviewed by Pat Unger.

Those who have a preconceived notion of Graham Bennett’s work as complex and densely technical, may have to revise their opinion after seeing his recent show in the McDougall Annex. That style is now only evident in the accompanying catalogue which explains, in carefully chosen art language, enough theoretical postulates to satisfy the most demanding viewer. It suggests that Bennett’s work reflects a question and answer dialectic implicit in three million years of human development, it incorporates the Heraclitean dogma that “all is flux” and presumes that various ecological disasters, inherent in our late capital-

ist civilisation, risk "making nature itself obsolete.” That aside, Bennett’s exhibition is an enjoyable glimpse into his mind — his mental workshop — where ideas are marshalled together to exploit contrasts between natural phenomena and civilising order. This contradiction is expressed in ceramics, prints and drawings that are, at least, visually convincing. The theme of the show is most clearly seen in two photographs of a landspit at Boulder Bank, Nelson, and by four small frames mounted at right angles to the wall and about 15cm apart. Each frame has half its area filled with reflecting glass, diagonally, from corner to corner and in partial opposition to its neighbour. When looking at or through them, images of “reality” take on curious fragmentation and per-

spective. Drawings based on the photographs reinforce the natural rhythmic movement of land and water Further prints, drawings and photographs of frames upon the land (with reason reinforced by titles of latitude and longitude) all carry the artist’s light touch, culminating in the handsome lithograph "41deg. 154’S/ 175 deg. 5.9’E” Six ceramics also tell of human measure and random nature. The malleability and hardness of clay and porcelain, their ability to retain organic reference while at the same time to carry the signs and codes of human reference, is well highlighted. All together these works quietly but firmly impress with the way they illustrate the development of art ideas and art making by this artist/printmaker/ teacher/enviromentalist.