Concrete Playground

The video and film works of Jess MacNeil, Shaun Gladwell and Daniel von Sturmer all share something in common: confusion. And the more you watch, like repeating a word over and over until it loses meaning, the more alien the images feel.

It’s a tenuous and delicate feeling, and MacNeil’s shadows, Gladwell’s incredible suspension, and von Sturmer’s obliterating drip seem to capture and hold the viewer in this state for just the right amount of time.

Rising Tide displays the MCA’s collection of video and film work and is the second in a two-part exchange with the Museum of Contemporary Art, in San Diego, California. There are 12 artists and artists’ collectives represented here, and it seems an adequate overview.

The highlight is Patricia Piccinini’s Sandman, in which she re-imagines the ocean world. As the swimmer descends the ocean’s depths, the unknown of the underwater appears more intimate and less intimidating than the swirling waves above the surface.


Image: Patricia Piccinini, Sandman (video still) 2002, 16mm film transferred to DVD, 3 minutes, MCA, courtesy the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney.