The Problem with Banana Skins, Divided Inverted
Angus Fairhurst
polyurethane
edition 1/10
7 × 36 × 36 cm
1998
Acquisition 1999
Inv. No. 0056a
The title of the work already refers to the banana skin, which lies at the work’s focus. The skin lies in an elegant hall of mirrors as, as if in a jewellery case. Each of the mirrors arranged in a circle reflects the skin and the reflection of the skin, again and again, into infinity.
The organic refuse in the hall of mirrors makes Fairhurst’s conviction clear that, from today’s point of view, nature can only be considered as cultural construct and as unification with culture. In order to illustrate this idea, the artist likes to use very simple systems of organisation, such as repetition. He seeks out a strikingly simple motive, and intensifies it by mean of levels, superimpositions and endless serialisation. The principle of action always plays an important role – to make grey brush strokes into a grid structure would be an action of this nature, or boring holes in postcards, or even taking schematic drawings, scanning them into a computer and turning them into an animation sequence.
“A number of the things I’ve made,” says Fairhurst, “have got to do with processes: often it is a process of repetition. Yes, I think all my work works on the time level.” Thus, he is also concerned with countering conventional precepts and expectations of art. With the drawing Fairhurst confuses the viewer with a whirl of clockwise and counter-clockwise movements, revolution and counter-revolution. It is so intense, so that we decided to acquire a three-dimensional banana version from polyurethane in order to make sufficient acknowledgement of the visual excursion from drawing to sculpture and back again.
Georg Kargl, 2005 (translation: Tim Sharp)
Continue readingExhibitions
Small Medium Large. Sculptures and Objects from the evn collection, evn sammlung, Maria Enzersdorf, 2022
Wallpaper #4, evn sammlung, Maria Enzersdorf, 2020
Nothing But Pleasure, BAWAG Foundation, Vienna, 2006
Nach Rokytník. The collection of EVN, MUMOK, Vienna, 2005
Publications
Wallpaper #4, Vienna 2021, p. 19 ff (s. p.)
Nothing But Pleasure, BAWAG Foundation, 30.6.2006 – 26.8.2006, Vienna 2006, p. s. p.
evn sammlung 95–05, Cologne 2005, p. 91
evn sammlung. Ankäufe 1997 – 1999, Maria Enzersdorf 1999, p. 16