Kim Percy’s
work occupies the large space of Gallery 1 with full effect. The strength of her
show lies in its potency as a series of incredibly beautiful and poetic images,
combined with a depth of meaning and underlying foundation in the exploration
idea. You could look only at the majesty of her skies and oceans and feel an
emotive and sensory impact on your body, or you could unpack the interpretation
of a multitude of meaning. I probed some of these ideas with the artist
directly.
____
KENT:
Hi Kim. There are some very topical concerns that run through your current body
of work, specifically ideas of human flight from injustice and danger. What I
particularly like is that these concerns are subtly introduced in the work and
not in any way overtly political or prescriptive. What drew you to focus
specifically on the sublime imagery of the sky and ocean for this exhibition?
KIM: My work seeks an emotional response rather than an intellectual
discussion. As a society, we are comfortable having an opinion about people
arriving to our shores by boats. I wanted to remove the hype and rhetoric and
take it back to a simple question: What would I do if I was placed in a
situation where I had to flee persecution? Would I step on a boat? I read a
story about a woman arriving by boat from Vietnam. She got onto the boat at
night and when it was dawn she was in the middle of the ocean – no land in
sight. This image struck a cord with me. The fear, anxiety, uncertainty of
being surrounded by water with no end in sight conjured a powerful vision. I
wanted to take viewers into a space where water and sky become a unknowable
force and the horizon line is filled with hope, trepidation and possible
danger. This exhibition is not a political statement, but rather an individual
internal journey.
KENT:
There's definitely a sense of the sublime going on in the work - in that
philosophical sense, where the power of nature impacts your emotions. That
overwhelming sense of wonder at the majesty of nature, coupled with that sense
of dread at its power and its all-consuming force. Another aspect to this body
of work that has a nice impact is the way in which you have curated the pieces
together around the gallery space. There are some red perspex rectangles interspersed
with a selection of vertical and horizontal images, and it gives me a sense of
musical notation running across the walls. How did you go about the process of
forming the layout for this show?
KIM: My process is about vision. I generally have an overall vision of an
exhibition – I see it in my mind's eye. It's almost like I have walked into the
space with my eyes half closed - I can see the shape, form and colour of the
whole show. As I work, the individual pieces become clearer. Simultaneously, I
am working on the concept – researching, making notes, forming a story. Taking
the images happens later. I look for the image, take a photo and then adapt
them to fit into the story. Each image is heavily worked. I use my skills as a
painter and printmaker to work into the image – drawing out elements hidden
within the digital file. Once the images are ready, I then compile them
together on virtual walls to create the rhythm and pace. I like the idea of the
exhibition being associated with music. I have always seen them as stances in
poetry but music works just as well.
KENT:
That reworking of the images is where I was going to prod you next. It's clear
the images are photographic, and yet they have other intangible qualities that
make them almost vibrate between realism and abstraction. For example, there is
a fantastic large work that has an almost green tinge to the clouds, and a
mottled, translucent tone that reminds me of skin. Another work appears almost
as if it's been changed into a negative. Are there particular processes you
apply, in either the capture or printing of the images, or do you work
intuitively with each image individually?
KIM: I work with each image individually. I see each image a bit like a
drawing. I tease out tones, textures, soften, correct, desaturate, play with
levels, curves, blending modes. I use a range of brushes, I invert, prod, blur.
It is a bit like SaraLee, layer upon layer upon layer!!!
KENT:
There's a couple of other elements in this exhibition, aside from the 2D
imagery - a large sculpture in the centre of the space and some texts on
plinths. What's the correlation between object and image and text for you?
KIM: Stories have many parts, depths and elements. The story of asylum
seekers is also intricate – it is not a single thread. By utilising the whole
space I am able to indicate various aspects to this story. It becomes a fuller
picture. People also assimilate information in different ways. I am a
visual person – some people prefer to read. Other people are tactile. The large
central boat is heavy yet it seems to float in space. By playing with different
mediums, I have created dialogue. Each element has its own power, together they
draw relationships and create tension. I am pleased with the way that the
installation has become a whole within the space. It feels complete.
____
Kim’s photographic prints are each in limited edition runs of 5. For the
exhibition they have been mounted directly on to the wall, enhancing the sense
of an expansive open space of ocean, but can be framed to take away for
placement in the home or office. Kim will be donating 10% of her artist price
from sales to the Asylum Resource Centre.
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