Fiona Hall: Force Field Education Kit - Museum of Contemporary Art

MCA Education KitPage6EXHIBITION OVERVIEWFiona Hall: Force FieldAt the core of Fiona Hall’s work is theintersection of nature and culture. Over thepast four decades her art has focussed onthe natural world—its complex processes aswell as its wonders—and in recent years hasreflected an increasing concern at the impactof humans upon it.Like a ‘force field’ of conflicting energies,Hall’s art is shaped by the histories ofcolonisation, systems of knowledge, and theethics of consumption. Her sources rangefrom the historical to the contemporary, andfrom the global to the domestic, drawingupon literature, politics, finance, media,science, sexuality, gardening andmetaphysics. Her art negotiates theboundaries between competing interests andexerts a subtle yet precise engagement withthem.the last decade that chart the overlappingterritories of power, politics and theenvironment. Some reflect Hall’s recentinterest in camouflage—defence patternstaken from nature and adapted for militarypurposes. Others weave together narrativesof global trade and colonial history, ofenlightenment and exploitation.Fiona Hall: Force Field aims to reveal a kindof archaeological layering of the artist’sformal and conceptual concerns, as well ascontinuities in her practice over time. Notonly is her work remarkable for theconsistency of its ideas and interests, butalso for its relentless pursuit of new artisticpossibilities and its capacity to engage withshifting social and environmental conditions. 1This exhibition presents an in-depth surveyof works from the 1970s to the present. Bornin Sydney and based in Adelaide, Hall beganworking with photography but has extendedinto diverse media including sculpture,installation, moving image and gardendesign. Her work is characterised by its useof ordinary objects and materials, which aretransformed into complex and allusive artworks.The exhibition is divided into zones whereworks from different phases of Hall’s careerare brought together. The works in thisgallery date from the 1980s and 1990s andexplore aspects of the domestic realm andconsumption. The adjacent section revolvesaround ideas of the body. Another selectionon this level reflects upon connectionsbetween various life forms, while at thecentre of the exhibition is a group of worksthat explore humanity’s relationship to natureand our concepts of Paradise. Themezzanine level features works largely fromHoldfast (Macrocystic angustifolia) 2007tin, aluminium 27.5 x 27.2 x 2 cmCourtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney, Australia© the artist1 MCA introductory wall text, 2008