Robert Donnelly presented by InterAccess
Photo: The Artist
One must Eradicate
A music-box-like construction of a typewriter conjoined with a conveyor belt, repeatedly typing on a loop of paper, “the errors one has sown into oneself, one must eradicate in this way, and every time one makes a mistake one must start over.” As the exhibition progresses, the precision and legibility break down.
Part in the motion
This work depicts three translations of the same text taken from Søren Kierkegaard’s Either/Or. Imposed upon a screen of light, the sentences are divided into parts where the translators use the same words. A sheet of 3M optical film splits the image of the text in two, casting one line of text upon the other.
And yet, and yet – yes,
This work depicts six translations of the same text taken from Søren Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling. Imposed upon a screen of light, the sentences are divided into parts where the translators use the same words. A sheet of 3M optical film splits the image of the text in two, casting one line of text upon the other.
All the work use text from the work of Søren Kierkegaard as their main subject matter. In all cases they are in some way presented in a repetitive manner that both allows one to focus in on its content and at the same time, make nearly illegible. The repetition is produced differently in the kinetic and light screen works. In one, the text is typed out over itself in a loop as the mechanisms of the machine gradually wear out. In the latter the text is presented in multiple English translations and then split with an optical film causing one line of text to rest on top of the other. In the kinetic work the content is best reflected in the functioning of the machine as it performs illustrative of the text it types out. In the light screen works, the content can be seen in the way the doubling effect of the optical film both conceals and heightens the visibility of different parts of the texts. These works trade in total legibility for devices that grab the viewer’s attention and communicate on a more indirect level.
Robert Donnelly is a multidisciplinary artist who often employs performance, metal fabrication, video, electronics and text. His work frequently references parables and themes from works of the Danish writer Søren Kiekregaard. He has worked on other new media installations with artists such as Mitchell Chan, David Rokeby and Michael Awad. Donnelly studied fine art with an emphasis in sculpture at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, Netherlands and the Ontario College of Art & Design in Toronto, where he received his BFA in 2011. He is currently working in Copenhagen at the Søren Kierkegaard Research Center and the Danish Art Workshops.
InterAccess is a public gallery, educational facility and production studio dedicated to the creative use of technology, electronic art and new media culture.
A music-box-like construction of a typewriter conjoined with a conveyor belt, repeatedly typing on a loop of paper, “the errors one has sown into oneself, one must eradicate in this way, and every time one makes a mistake one must start over.” As the exhibition progresses, the precision and legibility break down.
Part in the motion
This work depicts three translations of the same text taken from Søren Kierkegaard’s Either/Or. Imposed upon a screen of light, the sentences are divided into parts where the translators use the same words. A sheet of 3M optical film splits the image of the text in two, casting one line of text upon the other.
And yet, and yet – yes,
This work depicts six translations of the same text taken from Søren Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling. Imposed upon a screen of light, the sentences are divided into parts where the translators use the same words. A sheet of 3M optical film splits the image of the text in two, casting one line of text upon the other.
All the work use text from the work of Søren Kierkegaard as their main subject matter. In all cases they are in some way presented in a repetitive manner that both allows one to focus in on its content and at the same time, make nearly illegible. The repetition is produced differently in the kinetic and light screen works. In one, the text is typed out over itself in a loop as the mechanisms of the machine gradually wear out. In the latter the text is presented in multiple English translations and then split with an optical film causing one line of text to rest on top of the other. In the kinetic work the content is best reflected in the functioning of the machine as it performs illustrative of the text it types out. In the light screen works, the content can be seen in the way the doubling effect of the optical film both conceals and heightens the visibility of different parts of the texts. These works trade in total legibility for devices that grab the viewer’s attention and communicate on a more indirect level.
Robert Donnelly is a multidisciplinary artist who often employs performance, metal fabrication, video, electronics and text. His work frequently references parables and themes from works of the Danish writer Søren Kiekregaard. He has worked on other new media installations with artists such as Mitchell Chan, David Rokeby and Michael Awad. Donnelly studied fine art with an emphasis in sculpture at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, Netherlands and the Ontario College of Art & Design in Toronto, where he received his BFA in 2011. He is currently working in Copenhagen at the Søren Kierkegaard Research Center and the Danish Art Workshops.
InterAccess is a public gallery, educational facility and production studio dedicated to the creative use of technology, electronic art and new media culture.
