Historical Precedent visit to Firstsite Colchester, Agnes Denes - Week 5

We arrived early, so Audit Chaos and I explore the area:


Agnes Denes: Work 1967 – 2013
23 November 2013 – 9 March 2014

Budapest born artist, Agnes Denes, hasn’t had a solo exhibition in the UK since 1979. The New York based octogenarian’s work has been presented in a retrospective exhibition at Colchester’s Firstsite gallery, showcasing prints, drawings and photographs of her interventions.

Agnes’ work is strongly influenced by mathematics, philosophy, psychology, linguistics, history, music, science and environmental issues. Her drawings wouldn’t look out of place in the office of an engineer or architect; such is the skill and detail of her work, but move in closer and they become even more remarkable. Instead of dots making up the pattern it is hundreds of tiny human forms and not all of uniform shape either.

As humans, we tend to categorise people as being in one camp or another, scientist, artist etc but quite obviously the mould was broken with Agnes, as her talents appear to be in all camps.

Her Wheatfield – A Confrontation (1982), was an inspirational project, particularly with the juxtaposition of commercial and environmental imagery and even stronger by the twin towers being central focal points.

Wheatfield – A Confrontation (1982)

For me, the highest impact was that of her Manifesto. Those previously written by past Art Movements, such as for Futurism, were usually political statements or statements of not being political. Agnes Denes’ Manifesto is as different as it is moving:

Agnes was born in Hungary in 1931, moving to New York in 1954, exhibiting in hundreds of exhibitions around the world. She is a concept-based artist, who emerged in the 1960s and 1970. Her last UK exhibition was solo at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London. Her work also includes other written pieces such as Human Dust, proving her to be an all-round achiever and an inspiration to artists and scientists alike.

As we've moved around the gallery i've noticed the alternating light and shadows.

I want to create a response to Agnes' work, this I do in video format.