On Tuesday 20th September, a presentation of work by Bookstore participant Idan Hayosh will take place.
On 28th of December 1895 the 50 second film, The Arrival of a Train at la Ciotat Station, directed by the Lumiere Brothers, premiered in Paris. The audience was reportedly frightened by the image of a train coming directly towards them and ran for cover, screaming.
The following appeared in ‘Der spiegel’ shortly after the incident: ‘One short film had a particularly lasting impact; yes, it caused fear, terror, even panic…’
This classic anecdote from film history implies that the audience was primitive, and was completely fooled by the realism of the film. From another perspective it could be argued that the film, through its immediacy, produce for the viewer an image so simplistically profound that It effectively managed to nullify its own certainty as a safe to view image.
Evolving over a period of several years my process of working is a reaction both directly and indirectly in response to visual Images whose essences convey striking visual conductivity. Most interesting to me are aggressive and intimidating Images which imply danger suggested in their inherent symbolic (and actual) function, or further, through their elaborate arrangement. Searching for the confrontation and threat in images, I seek and collect those that qualify as visually striking. Inspired from these collected images, I construct temporary sculptures and stage them for video pieces as well as install them in a space. An integral part of this construction is the synergy between the image and its own sound amplified but otherwise unaltered. The sound I use is always a recording of the objects composing the work.
Having grown up in Israel, the concept and existence of military force and its extensions was always a default, as 82 percent of the mature Jewish Israeli population has been soldiers at some point. Thus it was very popular for example to subscribe to military magazines, as a regular reading material or as a subject for interest. Growing up, I had the chance to receive one of the bimonthly air force magazines as my family subscribed. The magazine kept us up to date on state of the art military improvements and new acquisitions of technology and equipment. As a child I eagerly collected the centerfold posters, which were always an image of a new aircraft or helicopter as well as its bombs, missiles and bullets displayed. I was enthusiastically convinced by the images of these ultra symmetrical dangerous layouts of exploding things.
This phenomenon stayed in my consciousness, later becoming raw material for my work. I trace the demonstrative aspect of the military displays, and find that even now while I may be impervious to the content, I am still captivated by its visual effect. With this fascination I strive to stage a confrontational incident, a dual between viewer and work.
My work is a reaction to these influences. I continue to be fascinated by the potential of these forces and especially the response to them. in both the pictorial (thus theoretical, employing the power of symbols), and practical (working with the tangible forces of electricity and machinery and their reactive effects). The works I have constructed are an expression of these ideas in interplay.
Doors open 19.30, show starts 20.00.
