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Invited Gaze Series Steven Dounton Urban Cow Studio 2 April - 3 May 2004 
As intended by Dounton, the title and concept of this exhibition is a tricky one. The brief artist's statement raises more questions than it resolves and the coloured glass vessels have the sheen of a beautiful object that favourably and/or unfavourably lets an unmotivated viewer take the easy path. This says more about the nature of contemporary visual culture than it does about any lack on the artist's behalf; we are trained within our culture of advertising to view superficially and when images are presented to us as an invited gaze, we gaze, sometimes without questioning. There is a gap left between the work and the concept, and it is this gap and the clever nature of the pieces that make 'Invited Gaze Series' worth visiting.To cause discomfort and to challenge our voyeuristic natures, Dounton invites us to peep through his mock glass windows to witness some private views: a half-naked woman dressing/undressing, an authentic bedroom (as opposed to a magazine bedroom) and intimate personal belongings. Rather than challenge my sense of should I or should I not be peeking, my attention is drawn to the differences between this representation of a woman in her home and the media version. In the latter version images of women dressing, undressing or in states of undress are usually quite calculated, not cold, but coolish and devoid of subtle emotion and intimacy. Their purpose is to sell anything from paint, to a car, by presenting matching underwear on a suitable model. Strangely enough, mismatched underwear (paired with such intimacy as the bedroom, personal belongings etc), is to me, the real signifier of the private here. But this is an invited gaze. Dounton reminds us in his statement and his work that there are rules in place in contemporary life that prevent us from becoming a 'Big Brother' society. His use of the venetian blind images remind us of the thin veil between private and public and the attacks made upon this line on a daily basis. As a culture we challenge the idea of privacy and the rules and regulations in place; reality TV is the latest form of this challenge. The TV series 'Big Brother' threatens privacy in itself, but is taken one step further when the raunchy late night specials consisting of extra footage that cannot be shown during normal viewing times is screened. Obviously the housemates sign their rights away when they enter the 'Big Brother' house, but there are always some acts that an individual likes to keep private. This show in Urban Cow Studio, as well as raising interesting privacy issues, invokes a feeling of the BFG: colourful glass bottles with stoppers to capture long lost memories (memories rather than dreams because of the black and white imagery used). There is a sense of ease in the competency of the glasswork that creates a tension with the nature of the concepts. Like advertising, this show reminds us that just because something is beautifully made that doesn't mean it should be easily accepted.  |
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