Some time back I reported here on this blog on an expat artist that I have come across here in the Dordogne -- Tony Crosbie. "Not for the fainthearted," I advised. The exhibition of his photographs that introduced me to this artist was powerful, to say the least, and one could not help but be moved or disturbed by his work (see above).
So it was with surprise that I once again stumbled across this artist -- this time while visiting Monpazier. There, on an open square, I saw about sixteen decapitated heads -- black(they seemed painted) heads, all the same, all arranged on the ground in an almost haphazard way -- or perhaps on the rays of a compass rose. The head right in the middle of the installation is painted red. They do not look like people buried up to their heads, there is no energy in these body-less heads, no urgency, nothing at all. They are simply heads. Willing to give Tony, with whom I so impressed only a short while ago, the benefit of the doubt, I decided to go find out more about this installation. Perhaps I was just a little slow in understanding what this work was about. But then I walked further and, whilst admiring the beautiful cosmos in bloom (so beautiful and always a favourite of mine -- even if cosmos was judged a weed in South Africa), I noticed another installation, this time of giant colour pencils, scattered on the lawn.
I do apologise, Tony, I know the exhibition is called "What is it?", and perhaps it is therefore achieving exactly what it set out to achieve -- getting the observer to ask the question: What is it? but I simply don't get it. And of course, that opens the debate about what is art and what is not -- in particular when it comes to conceptual art. The more original/shocking/extraordinary/innovative, the better to catch the attention, but is it art?
Tony Crosbie was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1956. Crosbie, a self-taught artist, was brought up in the inner city in a working class family. Crosbie’s work deals with modern society, and is confrontational, expressive, passionate and extremely personal. His life informs his work. Crosbie uses a multi-media palette, which includes, painting, photography, drawing, sculpture, video, writing, and anything else he can get his hands on to express himself creatively.
His first solo show in 1996 in Dublin, called New Beginning, was an autobiographical journey which dealt with the extremities of addiction and recovery. Crosbie uses his art to reveal the vulnerability and sometimes disturbing journey through his own life.
His work, often described as confrontational and provocative, questions the definition of what art is.
K'EST-CE QUE C ?
Monpazier (24540 Dordogne France)
Association "ouvrir l'art contemporain"
Artists: Giovanni Carosi. Florence Baudin. Robert Keramsi. Patricia Molins. Leslis Bigelman. Tony Crosbie.
Tél. 05 53 61 21 46
enpleinairfrance@yahoo.fr
www.enpleinairfrance.com
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