Pruned: Rosemary Laing and the Marvelous

In The Age of the Marvelous, Joy Kenseth defined the word "marvel" as understood several hundred years ago: "anything that lay outside the ordinary, especially when it had the capacity to excite the particular emotional responses of wonder, surprise, astonishment, or admiration." In seeing Laing's work, one can't help but exclaim, "Marvelous!"

Rosemary Laing has covered a patch of rainforest floor with brightly patterned carpeting. The result is discomforting. Are we in nature? Is this nature? Os is it comforting to find something familiar in the wilderness? Are we in a sumptuous salon? This is a place where man belongs and yet doesn't belong. We have made a space for ourselves and yet we feel like occupiers, despoilers of virgin land.

(Image: Rosemary Laing, Groundspeed #4, 2001.)

(Image: Rosemary Laing, Groundspeed #2, 2001.)

Links:
the unquiet landscapes of Rosemary Laing @ MCA Sydney
Rosemary Laing @ Artnet

Labels: art installations, photography

1 Comment(s)

Anonymous said...: ( November 9, 2006 6:32:00 PM CST ); I love rosemary laing. She is like the winter blossom of the sunflower. It is so great to see OZZIE artists who have made it in the real world. It's like this time when i was watching tv and suddenly was attacked by a bunch of rabid pandas... It was the greatest moment of my life.

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Rosemary Laing and the Marvelous Thursday, June 09, 2005 \| Permalink In The Age of the Marvelous, Joy Kenseth defined the word "marvel" as understood several hundred years ago: "anything that lay outside the ordinary, especially when it had the capacity to excite the particular emotional responses of wonder, surprise, astonishment, or admiration." In seeing Laing's work, one can't help but exclaim, "Marvelous!" Rosemary Laing has covered a patch of rainforest floor with brightly patterned carpeting. The result is discomforting. Are we in nature? Is this nature? Os is it comforting to find something familiar in the wilderness? Are we in a sumptuous salon? This is a place where man belongs and yet doesn't belong. We have made a space for ourselves and yet we feel like occupiers, despoilers of virgin land. (Image: Rosemary Laing, Groundspeed #4, 2001.) (Image: Rosemary Laing, Groundspeed #2, 2001.) Links: the unquiet landscapes of Rosemary Laing @ MCA Sydney Rosemary Laing @ Artnet Labels: art installations, photography 1 Comment(s) Anonymous said... ( November 9, 2006 6:32:00 PM CST ) I love rosemary laing. She is like the winter blossom of the sunflower. It is so great to see OZZIE artists who have made it in the real world. It's like this time when i was watching tv and suddenly was attacked by a bunch of rabid pandas... It was the greatest moment of my life. Post a Comment

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