“Lost in a dream” is an international contemporary art exhibition curated by Rob Garrett for Snake Pit, Auckland; 19 October – 3 November 2012.

The catalogue:

“Lost in a dream” is accompanied by a catalogue with full colour reproductions of the artists’ works; artist statements and biographies; and essays by Simon Grigg (founder of Siren, Box and Cause Celebre nightclubs) and curator Rob Garrett. The catalogue is edited and published by Rob Garrett, with design by Ophelia King. The catalogue is available as a FREE Downlaod here:

"Lost in a dream" brings together fourteen renowned and emerging artists from Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Russia, Sweden and the United States whose work has excited Rob Garrett. When invited by Snake Pit to curate a show, Garrett considered the most interesting prospect would be to introduce the gallery and its audiences to new artists. Snake Pit already has a strong programme of showing young local artists and several of Garrett’s recent Auckland projects also have had this focus. Therefore he felt it would be more interesting to go further afield by inviting several Northern Hemisphere and Australian artists, but also to include some local artists who are currently completely unknown.

Firstly working with artists he has known for years or in some cases only recently, Garrett began selecting striking individual works and in some cases whole bodies of work which could be said to loosely share an interest in uncertainty or ambivalence. Gradually as the shape of the exhibition unfolded, a theme emerged from the art itself. It is a theme that is aptly captured by the title “Lost in a dream” which comes from Cécile B. Evans’ video artwork in the exhibition; which directly references Paula Abdul’s 1998 number one hit single “Straight Up.”

In Cécile B. Evans’ “Straight Up” the artist performs an interpretive sign language version of Paula Abdul’s 1998 number one single of the same name. Over the course of the video the artist’s choreography begins to deteriorate, becoming less precise, and more organic. As the piece progresses, a series of glittery After Effects is implemented onto the composition, mirroring – or perhaps, parodying – the artist’s increasingly visibly intoxicated condition.

This use of sign language represents a reference to a method acting technique in which a given performer is given an objective to complete in order to somehow call attention to and enhance an emotional or altered state. Here, the artist’s compromised state presents an obstacle to the interpretative task at hand, and the boundaries between emotional and physical impairment are thereby blurred.

The artists:

Olga Chernysheva (Russia)
Georganne Deen (United States)
Cécile B. Evans (Belgium/United States)
Robbie Fraser (New Zealand)
Grant Gallagher (New Zealand)
Emma Garrett (New Zealand)
Nathan Gray (Australia)
Paul Hartigan (New Zealand)
Alexander Ilin (Russia/New Zealand)
Katrin Kampmann (Germany)
Anastasia Klose (Australia)
Virginie Mossé (France/Germany)
Anna Nordquist Andersson (Sweden)
André Sampson (New Zealand)

None of the overseas artists except for Georganne Deen have been shown in New Zealand previously. Two Auckland artists are entirely new to local audiences: Grant Gallagher (30 years a sculptor) and Alexander Ilin (a recent immigrant).

Works by Paul Hartigan and Katrin Kampmann have been made especially for this exhibition.

Vernissage 5:30pm, Friday 19 October

The gallery:

Snake Pit in central Auckland is an independent, multi-floor, project space established by James Wylie and Sam Thomas and other art students and graduates from the Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland. The artists have also established a shared studio / production area in the building; and from time to time the basement space (the former Siren, Box and Cause Celebre nightclubs venue) is used for performances and music gigs.

Rob Garrett presenting on the development of "Lost in a dream" at CreativeMornings /AKL; 26 October 2012. See the full event album here...

Watch video of Rob Garrett speaking about curating "Lost in a dream" in November 2012 for CreativeMornings AKL here...

Rob Garrett video interview with Stuff.co.nz and Bridget Jones on "Lost in a dream" and Auckland's ArtWeek...

TVNZ U Live host Tim, with James (Snake Pit) and Rob (Curator), live-to-air 25 October 2012.