My work is inspired by various art traditions of the 1960s - light art, conceptual art, kinetic art and op-art - to which has been added the technology of LED lighting. The intention of these movements was less about the emotions of the artist than creating a change in the mental state of the viewer.
This light-activated kinetic work creates seemingly infinite patterns and colour combinations which are intended to engage the viewer's attention for a prolonged period, possibly inducing a moment of confusion whilst trying to decipher how it functions. This is Henri Bergson's "real duration", time directly experienced, imbued with imagination and memory, as opposed to clock time. It is from this state of conscious visual attention, the universal, that the viewer is free to contemplate the particular. The cube is made of 145 small wooden blocks, which reflect light in various directions, depending on the placement angle and viewpoint.
Sydney based artist Alan Rose graduated from the National Art School in 2009 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and has since that time been the focus of four solo exhibitions: From the Universal to the Particular (Studio W, 2010), Between the Darkness and the Stage (Depot 2 Gallery, Danks St, 2012), Galaxies (Factory 49, 2012) and Geometric Field (Depot 2 Gallery, Danks St, 2013). Alan has also contributed to a number of group exhibitions including 2009 and 2010 Sculpture by the Sea at Bondi and for four years running, Sydney's preeminent festival of lights, Vivid Light.
His work investigates the boundary between order and chaos. The human mind is constantly searching visual inputs for patterns and meaning. His intention is to create a moment of bewilderment, to encourage the viewer to grope for meaning; to switch to a conscious visual attention. Alan's works use geometry, repetition and mathematical sequences, which all induce a comfortable feeling of order. But they also embody aperiodicity, movement, 3-dimensionality and lighting effects, all of which create a sense of disorder. In the end, success is gauged by how long the viewer is engaged by the work, the time spent in this conscious state.
wood, Perspex, LED lights
70 x 45 x 30 cm
Finalist
Judges of the 2016 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize: Wendy Whiteley OAM (Ambassador for the visual arts), Rhonda Davis (Senior Curator at Macquarie University Art Gallery) and Barry Keldoulis (CEO and Group Fairs Director of Art Fairs Australia).
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