Bernadette Boundy's Blog: November 2013

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

The War is Over.. if you want it

Went to Sydney to see this exhibition by Yoko Ono and it was wonderful.
This installation below is called Morning Beams which resembles rays of light. There are 100 cords of white rope leading to another piece ... the stones.. called Cleaning Piece- Riverbed. The piece asks people to recall every moment of sadness in their lives, measuring it with a stone.
Then they were asked to remember moments of joy, and watch that pile of stones grow.
Both pieces were very moving.

We are all Water (below)- a row of bottles - each labelled - Betty Friedman, Nicolas Copernicus, Joan of Arc, Henry Miller ... really needs no comment

Crickets 1998 (below) Many small cages with audio of crickets that were collected over a period of time in a variety of places. An evocative piece summoning a feeling of time and place in a very powerful way.

Balance Piece (1998) is an ordinary kitchen with table, pots and pans suspended, pulled by a magnet from the left. I think it has to do with invisible forces in the society - an undercurent that we cannot see, but we can feel

Imagine Map Piece 1966/2013 (below)Visitors were invited to take a stamp that was supplied, ink it up and place it over places in the world where they wish for piece, I put mine of Afghanistan... surprised that it was not already heavily stamped.

I was astonished that a heavily stamped country was Australia ... one of the most peaceful places in the world. This is my stamp.

Below is an image of Yoko stamping the map ... no I was not there when she was there...

Another poignant installation was Helmets - Pieces of Sky 2001/2013... that originated from Yoko's memories of looking at the sky when she had been evacuated to Japan's countryside during the war. She and her siblings spent hours watching the sky and clouds drift by.
Visitors were invited to take a piece of the sky from the upturned helmets.

By far the most moving piece which springs from Ono's campaigning for environmental awareness, was Endangered Species 2319-2322. This was created in 1992 - a family sitting on a park bench with their pet dog (just outside the photo below). Each member has a mortuary card attached. The title explains the piece. There are supporting images around the room... some butterflies, an engraved tablet with an SOS calling to the skies for help. I hope the NSW fracking people see this work.