Art History in Practice V

Art History in Practice V
Identity, Excess and the Sublime: Roni Horn's Watery Surfaces
Dr. Barbara Garrie
Wednesday 24 August, 5.15pm
Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi

Water is a recurring motif in the work of American artist Roni Horn. Fascinated by the constantly changing character of water and its ability to inhabit all manner of spaces, she sees these chameleon-like qualities as being reflected in her own sense of self. Horn has frequently laid claim to the in-between space of androgyny, stressing the impossibility of occupying a singular identity. Like the liquid mutability of water, her identity remains indeterminate, fluid and open to transformation. In this talk, visiting Christchurch-based lecturer Barbara Garrie explores the watery surfaces of Horn's practice and considers how the slippery nature of identity is negotiated through encounters with excess and the sublime.

Barbara Garrie is Lecturer in Contemporary Art at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch. Her current research focuses on the intersection of art history and material culture, with a particular emphasis on aspects of contemporary art practice. This research has three developing but related threads: art and material culture in post-quake Christchurch; the history and theory of the artist's book; and contemporary photographic practices. Her PhD thesis examined landscape, embodiment and identity in the work of American artist Roni Horn.

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