blank projects
28.10 - 02.12.2023
The soft, rhythmic sound of the cardboard conveyor belt hums in the background as I enter Cape Town’s blank projects, and bright morning light pours in through its high windows. While one might imagine the sound of a production line conveyor belt to be abrasive, Ginsburg’s wood and cardboard creation emits a gentle susurration. The atmosphere is somewhat serene as I move through the space, examining the works, all of which are muted in colour. They do not yell at the viewer, but rather whisper about soft memories. Jared Ginsburg’s solo exhibition, Objects Move Across a Room acts as an examination of this, the small, intimate moments which take place in the periphery of one’s creative process.
The show contains works of various mediums, ranging from small paintings and a carved wooden animal to the centre piece: a working cardboard conveyor belt. Near this work, a piece of rubber tubing hangs delicately from two metal rods and is accompanied by a work with sketchy pencil marks entitled Index of Rubber, which emulates the various forms that the rubber tubing may make. This meticulous sketching of the rubber tubing displays Ginsburg’s careful consideration of the objects he uses in the physical work, as he considers it both as it hangs currently and how it could hang if moved/re-installed, thus acknowledging its ability to be in flux rather than merely an unchanging object.
Jared Ginsburg, Index of rubber, 2023. Courtesy of blank projects.
Ginsburg cites the importance of curatorial care in his practice. He states that, despite the chaos of the contemporary world, he continues to care for objects, moulding, breaking and reforming them to create his work. He likens his creative process to gardening, as he moves around his studio, applying himself to one thing, then moving on to another, before revisiting earlier projects. In this way, he himself becomes a kind of ‘object’ that tends to other objects that are neglected, thrown away and then brought back to life. This transformation takes place through the blurring of the boundary between the creator and the created, as Ginsburg himself becomes an entity that is shaped, moulded and transformed by the very process that he applies to his work. The transformative nature of his practice demonstrates the idea that every object, including the artist himself, carries a history that contributes to the artistic expression overall. Ginsburg’s work highlights the notion that a single object cannot be addressed without exploring its relationships and its context in space and time.
This idea is evident in one work in particular that I found quite touching, a small wooden animal created from timber offcuts that hangs from two nails on one of the walls. As well as this, a large box television displays a video of the wooden creature in motion, taking a ride on the cardboard conveyor belt. The video is a strange yet playful piece of footage, and in some ways quite sinister depending on the perspective of the viewer. Some may see the animal as peacefully sleeping, while others may see it as an animal moving towards its slaughter in an abattoir.
Jared Ginsburg, Conveyer belt, 2023. Courtesy of blank projects.
The exhibition as a whole is up for interpretation, as the lack of exhibition text and vague title leave it open-ended. Personally, I found the work to be meditative and reflective. Its sombre and somewhat intimate nature makes it feel as though one is taking a personal look into the beauty of the understated. The works do not aim to dazzle with bright colours or theatrics, but rather engage the viewer passively, transforming the space into one of quiet refuge. It aims to push no agenda, but rather captures how one feels when having a brief encounter with a potent insight, when one is shed of the angst that often comes with the act of creating and enjoys a moment of stillness.
One work in the second room of the gallery entitled 4am depicts an etched scene of two people in a bedroom engaging in languid conversation. Both the title and subject matter seem to capture the intimacy of late-night musings with another. Perhaps Ginsburg is giving the viewer an opaque glimpse into his own life, sparking the viewer’s own memories of such moments. Importantly, he is including the viewer in the creative process by inviting them to bring their own perspectives to the ambiguous yet familiar nature of the work.
Ginsburg claims that one of his main inspirations is jazz musicians, as they improvise and strip down certain elements of a song without an end product in mind. “We don’t ask the same questions of music as we do of art,” states Ginsburg. “We don’t expect music to come with an explanatory text. Either it moves us, or we move with it, and that’s just how we as humans interact with that medium. I think that art can be very similar.” Perhaps this exhibition is a testament to the limited nature of words. Sometimes, they are not able to capture the feelings that art or music can evoke, the quiet moments such as the conversations had at 4am, or the liminality felt when creating, or the comfort of not knowing.
Jared Ginsburg, 4am, 2023. Courtesy of blank projects.
