2016 - 5 EMIL TOONEN
CONTROLLED FALL
WINDOWSPACE-BEEAC JUNE 2016
Emil Toonen’s work could be a slow
process. First objects have to be sighted, (they are not on the shelf), then
pondered, possibly allied with others, and then ultimately coaxed into being –
this requires serendipity, an eye, contemplation, awareness of the nature and
capability of materials, a feel for weird combinations and finally there is the
making, or shaping, of a ‘work’. Many of Toonen’s objects do ‘work’ – they blink,
whirl, spin, nod and make you laugh.
Toonen’s thinking is wry and his media
exceptionally various. Since he grew up in the Strzelecki Ranges in south east Victoria – mirror location to
the volcanic grassy plains and salt lake area of south west Victoria – could it be, that accustomed to the natural
environment, his eye responds with greater alacrity, analysis and wit to the
‘unnatural’. That rather than ‘bin it’ he pokes and prods ‘waste’ to see what
it’s worth, what it gives up, where it sits in his firmament of senses,
sentiment and response. Politics are not free of his estimation either.
There has long been an Australian sculptural school that thrives on the found – Robert Klippel and Rosalie Gascoigne, come to mind – their work usually with a focus on a particular material. Toonen upends that safety somehow, (developing Duchamp, a Fountain that moves?) It is as though he refuses to accept the staus quo: this is not that, it could be this, think about it, play with it, let it play with you … Toonen describes himself as ‘a Melbourne-based artist working with the manipulation of consumer detritus for creatively liberating outcomes’.
Consumer Pillar, 2015
There has long been an Australian sculptural school that thrives on the found – Robert Klippel and Rosalie Gascoigne, come to mind – their work usually with a focus on a particular material. Toonen upends that safety somehow, (developing Duchamp, a Fountain that moves?) It is as though he refuses to accept the staus quo: this is not that, it could be this, think about it, play with it, let it play with you … Toonen describes himself as ‘a Melbourne-based artist working with the manipulation of consumer detritus for creatively liberating outcomes’.
Toonen’s fun is deceptive, to this
writer’s mind. It blinks at darker matter, while making us laugh
(uncomfortably?) in recognition.
Untitled, petrified wood, 2016
In no particular order, a list of some
works might illustrate the complexities Toonen brings play:
Ski Table, (2013), 930x1290x380mm
Skis, plywood, paper pulp
Concrete Symbol, (2015), 400x530x250mm
Cement paper
Light Projector, (2012), 55x200x55mm
Lens, led downlight, electrical fittings,
aluminium bottle, aluminium tape
Consumer Pillar, (2015), 1170x120x120mm
Plaster aluminium paint
Camera Graft, (2009), 117x90x137mm
Digital camera, VHS camera lens, plumbing
fittings, polymer clay, aluminium tape
Resort Sign, (2013), 107x354x30mm
Sardine Tins, Paint, El Wire, Power Supply
Bin Idol, (2015), 1230x330x300mm
Resin pigment, glass, electronics, pump,
water, steel, paint, rubber
Kettle Motor, (2012), 720x360x130mm
Electric kettle, soup tin, steel pipe,
pneumatic fittings, silicone, synthetic paint
Of his recent political observations made palpable – a row of white pickets bearing prime ministerial portraits Argh, 2015 (ongoing) – Toonen makes
the comment: By
combining … portraits of Australian prime ministers the piece becomes charged
and open to interpretation: is this a comment on keeping out ‘boat people’? Are
those hats some kind of cult regalia or is this a row of laughing clowns? Or
conversely is it a feeble nationalistic embellishment to accompany a house
flying the flag? The title Argh an acronym from Abbott, Rudd,
Gillard and Howard steers the reading towards a expression of anguish with the
state of recent Australian politics.
Artist concern regarding current politics is burgeoning - it is not hard to imagine why. For another example see Ben Quilty's soon to open show at Tolarno, The Stain. AS
