REVIEW: DRAWING FOR A REVOLUTION AND A LAUGH
Arusha Gallery have had a busy 2016 so far, but surprisingly this is their first exhibition of the year. It has been well worth the wait.
Drawing for a revolution and a laugh is Mark I’Anson’s first solo exhibition since 2012. It doesn’t blow you away – it draws you in slowly and subtly, and it really is quite special.
His approach is to draw his subjects from a collection of vintage photographs. That may sound simple, but I’Anson manages to add depth and emotion to everyday people, with some occasional humour thrown in.
‘Duck and Cover II’ is like something out of a horror film, but for a time it was all too real. I’Anson positions the figures to the side and leaves a large amount of empty space. The masked, expressionless faces seem comical at first but become quite disturbing after a while. I’m sure the original photograph would have been powerful in its own right, but the artist’s style here adds something unique to it.
I really like the grumpy expressions, the folded arms and the odd hairstyles in ‘Team I’, but it’s the gradual fading of colour and the emptiness that I find appealing. It’s brave to leave such a large space –something I’Anson does often and to great effect.
‘Oh what a lovely war (and a laugh a minute)’ is the highlight of the exhibition. Sixteen individually framed pieces tell a story with pride, fear, sadness, hope, laughter and tears.
I admire I’Anson’s boldness in the portraits he chooses to draw, and ‘12 Disciples’ is a good example of this, but ‘Oh what a lovely war’ is more rounded and really does take you through the emotions.
You would never think ‘Study for Flag Day’ and ‘Waiting for a laugh’ belong in the same exhibition, but these two works show I’Anson’s depth and how effectively he counterposes emotions. Just compare the dour-looking faces in the call centre of the past to the rather bizarre fun being had in ‘Study for Flag Day’.
I found parts of this exhibition subdued, haunting; but above all else, human. It seems to be very much about the ordinary and how we can find inspiration, in our art and in our lives, by simply looking into the past.—Rhys Fullerton
Mark I’Anson’s Drawing for a revolution and a laugh continues at Arusha Gallery (13a Dundas Street) until 2 May. Admission free.