Its always a bit of an adventure out to Casula Powerhouse. I’ve never spent much time out Liverpool way, and I quite enjoyed watching the suburban houses whilst travelling from work on the train. In the weeks leading up to this event I had been leafing through my copy of Out of Nothingness, wondering which artworks I could finally see in the flesh….
The galleries were empty when I arrived, so I could wander the galleries in peace. I think Hossein Valmanesh’s work is best appreciated in solitude. His practice circles around exploring the unknown, and is intertwined with his own personal history of migration from Iran and accepting Australia as home.
Fire and flames are a recurring motif in Valmanesh’s practice. Their ephemeral quality is lost in still photographs, and it was really touching to see them dancing away in corners of the galleries. I spent some time watching the outstretched bamboo reaching across the void to the central flame within The Untouchable and Both sides of the story showed outstretched branches radiated out from the central flame, casting soft shadows against the floor. I have been wanting to see Longing Belonging in the flesh ever since my friend Shoufay Derz told me its story many years ago. It really does speak to the heart. On display at Casula is also the carpet itself, lying at the feet of the image.
Hossein Valmanesh – Both sides of the Story
Snakes and Ladders work was another suprise. I didn’t realise the inner sides of the ladder and rungs were all covered in soft gold leaf, with each ladder created out of the twists and turns of a small branch. I nearly missed the ladder hung above our heads in the central gallery, a portal into another dimension.
I wasn’t familiar with Vivienne Binns work before this exhibition, and call me daft but I couldn’t quite see the parallels with Valmanesh’s work. I acknowledge this may be due to my own impatience, I am sure I overlooked many of the complex subtleties in the brightly coloured paintings.
Thanks to everyone at Casula for putting together such a lovely show, and hosting a great opening. Its been a while since art gave me moments of such breathless wonder…..
Through the looking glass 