Understanding the exhibition

STUNNING: Ship of Fools by Katerina Smoldyreva. PICTURE / SUPPLIED

MIKE: Catharsis is the title of Katerina Smoldyreva's exhibition at Gallery 85. A family gathering in the Wairarapa meant that I was unable to attend the opening, so it was a genuine pleasure to receive a call from Paul Rayner last week, asking if I would care to meet Katerina at their gallery where she would explain her work. I jumped at the chance, little realising I would meet someone who could outperform me in a logorrhoea competition! Born in Russia and now based in New Plymouth, Katerina's unbounded enthusiasm for her art was aimed at ensuring that I would be able to grasp the essentials of her artistic 'raison d'etre'.

Catharsis was originally on display in Auckland, in a project titled 100 Days, whereby artists produced a new work every day over that period, prior to exhibiting. The word itself has mainly literary connotations for me, meaning 'purification' or 'cleansing' of the emotions, such as pity and fear, aroused by tragedy. It was used by Aristotle, in his Poetics, to describe the power of Greek tragedy on human feelings, especially the writings of the three giants of the Greek theatre during the 5th century BC, Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides.

Gallery 85 contains more than 100 pieces, the majority being small works named 'sketches' by Katerina, three-dimensional models. Made out of clay, with touches of gold leaf, fired several times, they are moulded into most unusual, extraordinary positions. To me they were fascinating. 'Grotesque' would not be a criticism, as several resemble the gargoyles of mediaeval cathedrals. Of the larger works, Ship of Fools is quite stunning. Based on a painting by Hieronymus Bosch, it consists of a group of figures, writhing in an inextricable mass, eyes covered by blindfolds of gold leaf. It was a comment on man's inability to comprehend fully his human condition.
The Greek myth of Sisyphus has him rolling a boulder to the top of a hill in the Underworld, whence it rolls back down to the bottom, causing him to start his labour again — an eternal punishment for his crime. Katerina's Sisyphus appeared different, with his limbs in impossibly contorted positions, which she said followed not the Greek myth but Albert Camus' Le Mythe de Sisyphe. A philosopher and novelist of the mid-20th century, Camus propounded the theory of the absurdity of life, the pointlessness of existence.

Many other influences were listed by Katerina — the Italian 'Commedia Dell' Arte', Ballets Russes, Michaelangelo and Butoh. This latter is a Japanese dance form created last century, in which the participants crawl around on the ground, as opposed to the vertical stance and upright position of most European dancers. This physicality, the 'grounding and earthiness' greatly appeal to Katerina, with the obvious links to clay, her chosen medium.
The exhibition runs until Sunday, March 18, the first weekend of Artists Open Studios. It is one to make the viewer think, reflect and admire.

JOAN: The Tempest. Mike and I were hosted by Jigsaw Whanganui last Friday evening in that perfect setting of the Bason Botanic Gardens to enjoy the mammoth production of this lesser-known of Shakespeare's plays. We were offered wine and fine food before taking very comfortable seats for the performance. Thank you to Tim Metcalfe, Dave Barton and staff for a lovely beginning to a memorable evening.

Director Karen Craig had built upon her 2016 production of Macbeth. Lighting was discrete but totally accurate, sound was just right. Ingrid Culliford's music played by her and the Christiansens was an atmospheric addition. Everything was tidy backstage and so we concentrated throughout on the stage area. Costumes blended and were attractive and interesting, though I would have liked to have seen Prospero more as a Gandalph figure. It was an ingenious idea to have Sharon Underwood dancers involved, adding to the Elizabethan mood of the production.

What an absolute joy it was to see Caliban, Trincolo and Stephano play out their scenes. The so talented Chris McKenzie, Mel Hawkins and Phil Hudson brought all their skill, energy, experience and enjoyment of their parts to their performances, especially when together. I do not know exactly when Dwight Ballard stepped into the main role but his voice was clear and confident. This is not a review so I will with gratitude thank the rest of the cast for all that they achieved. It is good to see young performers coming through and handling a difficult script. What a team Karen has gathered together and how hard they have worked to bring this to fruition. My only slight frustration was lack of use of the whole stage. There was room for much more movement by the cast who tended to group or pair together at the centre front and not always address the side seats of the appreciative audience. Forgive my small criticism of an evening that gave so much pleasure to so many. In a survey that I was asked to be part of, there was a question as to whether we would attend other musical or dramatic productions at this venue. A resounding 'yes' from me! Since the last Karen Craig success, I have imagined Maori plays and music, musical theatre and other plays being offered there. The question is who would have the courage and creativity that Karen has brought to us. We are so lucky to have her. As night fell and the moon and stars shone out, the skeleton of trees glorious as a backdrop, it seemed that Prospero's magic had, somehow, been quietly at work to ensure for us a haunting and mystical event.

MIKE: Despite the fact that La Fiesta is a celebration of women, the current exhibition at Space displays the works of nine male artists. Wo:man — Women as seen by Men opened on February 17 as the official launch of La Fiesta, the number of artists, Sarah Williams said, coinciding with its ninth year.

Joan and I were both astonished by the delicacy and beauty of David Murray's cast glass creation, Exhale the Last, a tribute to Elizabeth Hardwicke-Smith. A large number of glass globes, varying in colour, are placed on a table, their size gradually diminishing as you look from right to left. The brief and telling statement, 'The last exhaled breath of an extraordinary woman is represented as a percentage of molecules', made it a most moving experience.

The Rayner brothers are featured, Paul with four strong, lifelike portraits in oil pastel, Mark with a colourful plate showing an excellent likeness of Saint Jacinda. Was he tempted to repeat his rug version of the previous Labour leader, I wonder?

"Why the pelican?" I asked Sarah. "I must ask Graham," was her answer. A large black and white print by Graham Hall, titled The Adventures of the Hero Woman as Temptress depicts seven females, some clothed, others naked — though with carefully placed fig leaf substitutes — looking rather doleful and holding a couple of apples. A reference to Classical mythology? The Bible? Master painters from the Middle Ages? It is certainly very intriguing. (And don't forget the inquisitive pelican on the left!)

Above and behind them all sits a naked male, in a bath, covering his face with a deer's antlered skull. Alongside is a lengthy quote from a 1949 work by Joseph Campbell, of which I am ignorant, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, the inspiration for Graham's print.

Regular readers of this column — yes, both of you! — will know that I am a big fan of Ivan Vostinar's ceramics, and there are two pieces on display. Grace through Hardship is slender and silky, Nurture is of a more compact, comfortable, welcoming nature, the immortal earth mother. Both are so tactile — I didn't! — and compelling.

This is an extremely interesting exhibition, with a good deal of variety. My apologies to those I have been unable to mention. Closes on Friday, March 2. Be curious and go.
mjstreet@xtra.co.nz