Go watch an exhibition of David Noonan’s film work, A Dark and Quiet Place. Noonan’s first film in over a decade is an experiential reflection on theatre, performance, time and the tension between figuration and abstraction. The film is a durational work comprising of still images that gradually dissolve and shift, creating new connections and juxtapositions. A Dark and Quite Place montages imagery from Noonan’s extensive archive to create an immersive experience supported by a minimalist electronic soundtrack.
Film still from David Noonan’s A Dark and Quiet Place, courtesy of the artist & Stuart Shave/Modern Art, London
Film still from David Noonan’s A Dark and Quiet Place, courtesy of the artist & Stuart Shave/Modern Art, London
The archival imagery in the film is assembled from disparate sources from the 20th century to the present that are interleaved with oscillating sequences of sculptural neons and geometric visuals. A de-linear sense of time has been a central concern of Noonan’s practice to date. Mirroring methods within Science Fiction, Noonan recycles the past to create an alternate view in the present. In the film’s imagery, performers and set pieces have been removed through photo-editing to expose architectural elements and to create new readings of these theatrical spaces. This editing questions the veracity of archival imagery while reflecting the artificial nature and alternate realities present in stage and set design.
David Noonan was born in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, in 1969. He lives and works in London. A publication entitled A Dark and Quite Place has been published ahead of this exhibition. David Noonan’s work has recently been the subject of solo exhibitions at the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA, USA (2015); Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis, MO, USA (2011); Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne, VIC, Australia (2009); Chisenhale Gallery, London (2008); and Palais De Tokyo, Paris, France (2007). Noonan’s work has been included in the recent group exhibitions 10 ways to look at the past, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia (2011); Tableaux, MAGASIN – Centre National d’Art Contemporain, Grenoble, France (2011); Secret Societies. To Know, To Dare, To Will, To Keep Silence, Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany; travelling to CAPC de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France (2011); British Art Show 7: In the Days of the Comet, Nottingham Castle Museum & Art Gallery, Nottingham Contemporary; Hayward Gallery, London; Glasgow Centre for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow; Plymouth Arts Centre, Plymouth (2010-2011); The Beauty of Distance: Songs of Survival: 17th Biennale of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia (2010); Before & After Science, 2010 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia (2010); Glasgow International 2010, Washington Garcia at Mitchell Library, Glasgow (2010); The Dark Monarch: Magic and Modernity in British Art, Tate St Ives, St Ives (2009-2010); Altermodern, Tate Triennial, Tate Britain, London (2009); and Tokyo Redux, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France (2007).
25 November 2017 – 13 January 2018 Modern Art 50-58 Vyner Street, London E2 9DG www.modernart.net
