28/7/2006
Jordan McKenzie
Spacex, Exeter
Vitruvian. The exhibition explores McKenzie's fascination with drawing, performance and mark-making, the process of mapping his own body within a space. These pieces are not concerned with presenting drawings as finished works of art but rather as processes, bodily acts exploring the sensuous language of gesture.
Vitruvian. Drawing works
On the opening night of his exhibition at Spacex Jordan McKenzie will set
out on a 4-hour performance across the city of Exeter, manoevring a cube
which is the length of his arm and drawing upon the surfaces with graphite.
The exhibition at the gallery explores Jordan McKenzie¹s fascination with
drawing, performance and mark-making, the process of mapping his own body
within a space. These pieces are not concerned with presenting drawings as
finished works of art but rather as processes, bodily acts exploring the
sensuous language of gesture.
Jordan McKenzie chose the title Vitruvian because the work takes Leonardo Da
Vinci's Vitruvian Man as a starting point, an image of man whereby the body
is reduced to a set of universal' and perfect¹' measured dimensions. All
the works in this exhibition use the measurement of the artist's own body to
create a group of drawings that explore the notion of drawing as a
performative act. Some installations are the height of half his body,
knee-height or the length of an arm.
Jordan McKenzie cites Tony Smith¹s work ŒDIE¹ as a reference, which was
famously attacked for being literalist and theatrical in Michael Fried's
1967 essay Art and Objecthood. Yet this is what Jordan McKenzie engages
with about minimalism. The works require the viewer to be aware of how their
own body responds to these works, to think about how embodied contact with
these sculptures create meaning. We are not passive viewers but actively
engaged in an exchange of meaning and experience.
"Die, a fabricated hollow, six foot cube, was Tony Smith's second closed
square volume. The size and form of the piece were inspired by a
reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian man. Its scale is a kind of
grey area between object and monument. Smith wanted a work that, by sharing
our space, would command our attention; Die is a geometric equivalent of
man. While it looks like a perfect architectural form, Die, according to
Smith, represents an actual person more than a space in which to live."
Joan Pancher - MOMA Catalogue 1998
Jordan McKenzie has exhibited nationally and internationally for over 12
years, presenting work at BALTIC, Ikon Gallery, Arnolfini and ICA. He is a
lecturer in Live Arts at Kingston University and in New Performance
Practices at Central School of Speech and Drama, London.
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The exhibition showcases new work commissioned for SPACEX, a public-funded
contemporary art space and registered educational charity. It works to
encourage public engagement with the latest developments in contemporary art
through commissioned projects, exhibitions, events, talks and activities for
all ages. Admission is free. Supported by Arts Council England, Exeter City
Council and Devon County Council.
Artist's performance in Exeter city centre: 2 6pm Friday 28 July
Spacex
45 Preston Street - Exeter
Open Tues-Sat, 10am-5pm
Admission free