Tuesday 26 March 2013

Monika Fischbein - Patternotion's Big Bang

Monika Fischbein -
'The Start of Everything'

Photograph of a book presented to us, rather provocatively, on it’s side. That is to say the photograph is turned on its side so that the book appears at first glance to be attached to a wall rather than resting on a table.


I love books. During some recent toadying I said to my employer “making fridge magnets is charming, creative and fun but to publish a book must be a far more thrilling and rewarding exercise”. He seemed pleased.
I would like to point out that I do not approve of the way that books are treated by the artist on page 51 of Patternotion (see also page 27 of Freedbook). I shall make no further reference to this person except to say that I applaud the recent confiscation of her library card.
 
‘The Start of Everything’ is overwhelming as a concept and it’s a bit puzzling as the title of this picture. If it’s The Start Of Everything then why does the position of the bookmark (or “silk” as it’s possibly called) indicate that the reader is a third of her way through the book? Answer me that! Perhaps this title is a reference to the Book of Genesis.
 
Monika Fischbein -
Freedbook Page
They (experts) used to proclaim confidently that the start of everything was a Big Bang. Now our greatest minds are suggesting that there was probably some stuff going on just before the Big Bang. Asked why they’re now unhappy with a Big Bang as the Start of Everything the experts have replied “it seems an unlikely thing to happen”. As an expert in my own field I find this unsatisfactory. I’ve sent emails.
 
So why has Monika Fischbein chosen “The Start Of Everything” as a title for this photograph? A myriad of reasons I suppose. Artists tend towards the enigmatic. They tease us with possibilities. See also Fischbein’s excellent contribution to Freedbook for a further example of her elegant titular idiosyncrasy.
Being enigmatic carries with it a misinterpretation prerogative for the viewer. This is the loophole which allows me to ponder birds, books, big bangs and other tangents when almost certainly the artist would prefer us to be appreciating the more abstract qualities contained within her work.
For example. Are the birds at the left edge of this image in sharper focus than everything else? That might be important.
 
PKD
 

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