Siemon Allen, Kendall Buster and Ledelle Moe at the KZNSA
by Francesca Verga
The decision to open the shows by Siemon Allen, Kendall Buster and Ledelle Moe on the same evening made sense after having viewed the three shows. All of the artists reside abroad, making it easier to collate the exhibitions into one opening. However, on closer inspection, there are similarities between these three very different artists.
Kendall Buster's installation, titled Model City, had the greatest impact on me visually. The installation of over 40 blue child-sized tents was suspended across the main gallery. One could view the work from beneath upon entering the space and from above, looking down from the Mezzanine Gallery . Standing underneath, the effect of the clear blue sky was claustrophobic, and seen from above, the hints of wave-like shapes were enough to make one nauseous. The installation was spectacular, almost surreal. But only after viewing some of the trading cards on offer by Siemon Allen, did I realise that these were in fact tents. Tents that are used as portable shelter, like those used by the army. This is in marked contrast with Buster's Model City, which is essentially a tranquil turquoise-blue cityscape.
Siemon Allen's Cards comprises a collection of cards produced as war memorabilia for children between 1938 and 2001. Tents which appear in several of the cards are manufactured for the harsh conditions of war. Although the cards were not ostensibly produced as propaganda, considering them in this space and time, the initial intentions have changed. Siemon Allen is known for re-interpreting, visually interfering with and deconstructing media and newspaper clippings to comment on contemporary realities. While he does little to tamper with these cards formally, their showcasing in a post-9/11 world lends them a new significance.
With the examination of aspects of war in Buster and Allen's work it was not difficult to link this to Ledelle Moe's large cement and steel sculpture Memorial (Collapse). This enormous sculptural piece has been created out of several components, forming the shape of a large, toppled head. This work recalls recent world events, particularly the toppling of massive structures such as the public monuments of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. The work ironically also invokes notions of vulnerability and pathos, in spite of its scale. The placing of the sculpture in an outside space as opposed to inside the park gallery, with the grey carpeting, would have been more effective.
Closed: August 21
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