The pageant of history is the inspiration for the politically motivated artworks created by Dylan Graham to become cut paper installations of intricacy and poetic delight. 'Ad astra per aspera' is a Latin phrase which translates as “Through Adversity to the Stars”.
Through Adversity to the Stars
Graham’s work is about the movements from the revolutionary missions of discovery dating back to Cortez and the Dutch East/West India Companies. They have been mapped to traverse towards modern day realities of the new colonialists - refugees, adventure seekers and multi-national corporations. So the body of work is probably is influenced by Bauman’s metaphorical references to the journeying of the “tourists and the vagabonds.” (Bauman 2000) The transitory nature of modern day society is a subject well worthy of investigation.
Graham has chosen a novel medium which has the potential for much complexity as well as a refined and beautiful simplicity. His works address the social aspects and repercussions of colonialism and the historic and modern cultural context of immigration and forced migration (Art Knowledge News 2011).
Cut Paper a Medium of Simplicty and Intricacy
Graham cuts the work from a single sheet of paper achieving a detailed effect capitalising on a minutiae of intricate lacings. He has been inspired by folk traditions from around the world as he explores the theme of art in culture and the genre of folk art.
Graham, it is said, witnessed the effect of colonialism on Maori culture, which had before the first white settlers came did not have a written, historical tradition. Maori mythology and culture were simply recorded in stories and visual art. Graham examines the icons and enduring symbols of these subjects and by juxtaposing the perspectives, from the ”conquered to the conquerors,” from the “empowered citizen to the rootless newcomer”. Graham produces a seductive analysis of the development of history (Art Knowledge News). The body of work captures global events from both personal and historic-cultural context.
The Battle for Inclusion and Eclusion in Modern Society.
Graham’s work is characterised by a structural design, wherein he achieves balance and harmony. The design captures his questioning stance towards Postmodernism evidenced in literal material battle between inclusion and exclusion, but, surprisingly the struggle takes place on a minimalist and meticulously and minimally, each piece exhibits a light and decorative delicateness that stands in stark contrast to the heavy burden of its social and political content. (Art Knowledge News)
"A Geocentric Model" is an installation inspired by life and mythology surrounding Coenraad van Beuningen (1622-1693). Creating an installation depicting a group of lost artefacts, which create a haphazard trail caught up in the moment transit, captures an aura that feels “lost in time”. In this context visual depictions of tropical winds and currents combine with an interest for mysticism, astrology, Millennialism dream-interpretation and supernatural wonders. Through visualising a trail of artefacts Graham ponders on their role and the links that they provide between the present and the past and how history repeats and manifests itself.
Resources:
- Art Knowledge News 2011
- Bauman,Z. (2000) Tourists and Vagabonds. In Identity and Social Change. Transaction Pub.
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