Marijke
van Warmerdam: First Drop
Until September 17; Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh
The Fruitmarket Gallery celebrates the festival this year with a Dutch
artist little known in Scotland. Having represented the Netherlands
twice at the Venice Biennale, Marijke van Warmerdam is a regular on
the international circuit, working in sculpture, film and photography.
Its hard to fathom why van Warmerdam is so successful. Her films
and photographs are set up deliberately to fail, combining the slow-burning
pace of contemplation with interruptions which are positively throw-away.
A nondescript summer meadow, filmed and projected with expensive 35mm
equipment, is subject to the sudden emptying of a bucket of water.
The catalogue devotes seven full-colour spreads to this momentous
event.
Two dangling, double-sided photographs depict a polka-dot tea-cup.
In one, the dots float up, containing the daydream mirage of a tropical
beach. In another, steam rises. Waiting for the slowly twirling prints
to reveal their secrets is a disappointing business.
Another 35mm film (this show has enough projection equipment to keep
the whole film festival whirring) depicts eddying swirls of milk as
they drop into clear water. Even here, van Warmerdam works against
the entrancing beauty of a liquid ballet by filming it in a deliberately
prosaic way. How much more has been achieved by fellow Dutch-woman,
Saskia Olde Wolbers, whose abstract choreography is truly mesmerising.
Its not all hopeless. The Weight Of Colour exploits van Warmerdams
playfulness to good effect, balancing three polyester balls against
each other on a ad-hoc see-saw. While the rainbow-coloured ball is
light and practically floating, it only seems right that the black
ball, though smaller, should be dense and heavy.
Two photographs printed onto mirrors also play tricks with our sense
of perception. One, of a puddle, is perfectly stationed at the top
of the stairs, to catch you on arrival. You are reflected in the puddle,
and suddenly feel as if youre inside the scene. Similarly, a
mirror held in Take Off reflects the image of a plane in the sky above.
Again, your find yourself inside the landscape, aware not only of
what is in front of you, but of what is above you, out of sight.
Van Warmerdam relies strongly on her instinct, reluctant to analyse
her works until they are finished. This works for some artists, but
for Van Warmerdam, its a hit-and-miss strategy which should
at least be subject to some serious editing. As for the selection
of works in the show, less, in this case, would definitely be more.
Catrìona
Black, Sunday Herald 06.08.06