Friday, 24 February 2012
Work from her Sciences of Observation.
“Rixen’s work frequently employs a process of abstraction based on historical research that stems from her background in photography; distilling concrete materials through a series of formal experiments and conceptual filters. For this recent body of work, Rixen has used a book by 19th century scientist John Tyndall as a point of departure. Tyndall’s 1873 publication Six Lectures on Light is comprised of lectures given while on tour in the continental United States. The six works presented at the Or Gallery are products of the loose application of Tyndall’s ideas and his description of scientific experimentation into an aesthetic regime of observation. Specifically, Tyndall’s introductions convey a playful, open-ended, and even mystical approach to scientific knowledge that provides a model for contemporary art practice.” – Anika Rixen