CHROMOPHILIA

 

Exhibition Essay

by Eileen Abood

 

The chromophilic cell is one that stains readily, taking on colour to be revealed under the scientist’s microscope. Within the creative collaboration of Caity Reynolds and Jamie Mumford’s Chromophilia exhibition, chromophilic practices marked by vivid, unadulterated pigmentation are brought together in a show that is all about the love of colour.

 

This exhibition is loud and extravagant in its visual stimulation and doesn’t hold back at any point throughout the show. Upon entering the space the viewer is immediately greeted by a collaborative piece by Reynolds and Mumford titled I Thought The Universe Was Supposed To Be Beige (2012). This ambitious work, which took the artists ten hours to install, is an immersive, chandelier structure of brightly coloured homemade decorations strung together with florescent twine that hangs down from the ceiling. This giant structure with its little interactive babuls that spin in the air elevates the light-hearted celebration of a few paper decorations, through sheer scale and excessive reproduction, into a hyper-festive display of infectious enthusiasm that sets the tone for the overall exhibition.

 

In an adjoining room artistic forays into bold and vibrant hues are displayed in a variety of mediums from watercolour paintings through to collage and installations. By creating a situation in which the works are contextualised in terms of their chromatic appearance the dialogue that evolves within the space is more about sensation than any specific issue or idea. Another interesting sensory element to this space is that it is imbued with the sweet candy smell, of a floor-to-ceiling, criss-crossing string of rainbow popcorn in the corner of the room.

 

The Chromophilia exhibition with its bombardment of colour creates an immersive, stimulating environment which has interesting correlations with theories of colour therapy and touches on the many different meanings colours can take on within cultures and societies as a complex, influential element in our everyday lives.

 

 

Exhibition dates: 23 July - 3 August 2012

Gallery Hours: 9am - 5pm, Tues - Sat

Opening: Fri, July 27, 6.00 - 8.00 pm

Address: PROJECT Gallery, level 2 (ground floor),

S02 2.10 Webb Centre Building,

Queensland College of Art, 226 Grey St, South Brisbane 4101

 

View the exhibition online here