 Aaron Sandnes Virulence Groeflin Maag Galerie is pleased to present the work of Los Angeles-based artist Aaron Sandnes in his debut European exhibition, "Virulence". Emerging from the sculpture department at the University of California, Irvine, under the tutelage of internationally renowned artists Sam Durant and Andrea Bowers, Sandnes has developed an expert means of translating his perceptions of contemporary American politics into concrete form. Influenced by the philosophical texts of Michel Foucault and Jean Baudrillard, Sandnes constructs pieces critical of current U.S. policy and its manipulating embrace of panopticism and the hyperreal as techniques of control used both domestically and abroad. Intelligent and confident in the same subtle stroke, Sandnes ' works act as insightful metaphors for the methods of American political intimidation in the world today. A native of the southern California suburbs of Los Angeles, Sandnes describes the public's relationship to authority as one of a "stagnant state of anarchy". Although the American people often deeply dislike policies they regard as oppressive or venal, they believe any sort of organized resistance will be rendered impotent by the all-seeing, ever-present powers of the state. Sandnes feels that the theoretical model of the omniscient Panopticon first proposed by 18th century English legal reformer Jeremy Bentham, and later analyzed by Foucault, has been adapted by the U.S. administration as a means to control the social behavior of its populace through an insistence on constant patriotic emergency. "Fantastic Gratifications of Being Cured All Right", 2004, consists of two 1.5 square meter sheets of glass held horizontally parallel to the floor between two audio subwoofers. The low frequency bass lines of six songs (1) used by the U.S. military to excite its troops and madden enemy prisoners play ad infinitum. Each speaker plays a different song from the other simultaneously, causing the already muffled lyrics to be further confused in a fractious disharmony. Occasionally the tracks coalesce, and both speakers grumble the same song a few beats apart to produce an aggressive echo as the glass rattles from the vibrations of the musical distortion. The title refers to the main character of the film "A Clockwork Orange", Alex, who, in his delusion, believes himself to be cured of violent urges by the aversion therapy treatments of his prison doctors. With this piece Sandnes illustrates the tactics of fear and aggression presently relied upon to civilize the untamable, incorrigible Other throughout the world. He has constructed a discerning analogy of the disastrous futility of America's military juggernaut and provokes viewers to wonder to what avail does its blind rampages continue. First addressed by the English poet Richard Lovelace (1618-1658) in his "To Althea, From Prison", Sandnes' "Althea", 2002, refers to a mental space of creativity in which one might find refuge when confronted with the forces of oppression. (2) Atop a fragment of wooden floor an audio speaker and a visual monitor face each other on opposing black metal armatures. While the monitor flashes blue for an interval of one second, the speaker remains silent. Immediately after the monitor's flash, the speaker emits an alarm-like tone one second in duration. This back-and-forth pattern of flash to silence, darkness to sound repeats without ending. It speaks to the individual's desire for creative experience and communication with the wider world while being confined in isolation from that which gives the spirit sustenance. "Virulence" is defined as the relative ability of an infectious agent to do damage to its host. It seems an appropriate title to describe the issues at play with Sandnes' work. Just as a virus can destroy a person's health, so it appears that a government's mindless ferocity could devastate the civilization it has vowed to protect, and the humanity it swears it's serving. With clarity and conciseness, Sandnes has concentrated rigorous theory to produce iconic objects of a powerfully symbolic resonance. Concept and material here combine with compelling effect. Text by John W. Weeden, Director of Lantana Projects, Memphis, USA. (1) Six songs: Guns 'N Roses - "Welcome to the Jungle"; Nancy Sinatra - "These Boots Were Made for Walking"; Sesame St. Gang - "Sesame St. Theme Song"; Barney the Purple Dinosaur - "I love You, You Love Me"; Metallica - "Enter Sandman"; Drowning Pool - "Bodies". (2) Lovelace's last verse reads: Stone walls do not a prison make, / Nor iron bars a cage; / Minds innocent and quiet take / That for a hermitage: / If I have freedom in my love, / And in my soul am free-- / Angels alone that soar above/ Enjoy such liberty. Exhibition: December 14, 2004 - January 29, 2005 Gallery hour: Tue-Fri 1 - 6 pm, Sat 1 - 5 pm Groeflin Maag Galerie Oslo-Strasse 8 4023 Basel Telephon 061 331 66 44 Fax 061 331 66 45 Email galerie@groeflinmaag.com www.groeflinmaag.com |
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